


Blood Spawn

by MidnightBlue66



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Child Abuse, Ezra Bridger Needs a Hug, Ezra is not having a good time, Mind Manipulation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27365101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightBlue66/pseuds/MidnightBlue66
Summary: Ezra's life changed when he made a bet with his classmates to stay the night at the supposedly haunted house, Dathomiri.
Relationships: Ezra Bridger & Darth Maul, Ezra Bridger & Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger & Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger & Sabine Wren
Comments: 49
Kudos: 63





	1. The Bet

**Author's Note:**

> I previously posted this story with half-assed writing, so I took it down and rewrote it.  
> Also, changed the name cause the previous name was *cringe*

Ezra scoffed and rolled his eyes as he continued shoving his notebooks into his backpack. The kids sprung alive with the final bell, throwing around idle gossip as soon and the teacher yelled over the chatter, wishing the students a fun Halloween weekend while, weakly, trying to remind them of their homework in hopes of someone actually listening. It was the month of October and just like every year, the gossip was centred around old legends, fable stories passed down from one generation to the next. This year, the main scare was the abandoned mansion that rested in the dense Forgotten Forest on the outskirts of town, supposedly haunted by its previous owner who had been brutally murdered.

His classmates only stopped chatting when they heard Ezra scoff and gave him a hard stare.

“Don’t tell me you actually believe in these rumors?” Ezra asked, baffled. His classmates shared glances, obviously not pleased at Ezra’s lack of spirit.

“Well, this  _ is _ the main legend of our town. There has to be some truth to it,” Zare deadpanned before smiling. “Unless you’re too scared to believe in it?”

“Ghosts do  _ not _ exist,” he bit back, looking unamused. The town he had moved to two years ago was ridiculous with their notions at the existence of unworldly creatures. The kids laughed at him.

“Then you won’t be afraid to go to the Mansion of Dathomiri,” Jai said, grinning mischievously. 

Ezra rolled his eyes and went back to clearing his desk. “There is no point as there would be nothing to see there.”

“That is something a chicken would say,” Kevin joined in and Ezra glared at him. 

“I am  _ not _ afraid,” he countered. And it was true, he wasn’t afraid of fabled tales. He just thought it was a waste of time to go to the Forgotten Forest to visit the abandoned building.

“Then spend the night in Dathomiri,” Zare challenged, smirking as he knew Ezra would not be able to resist proving them wrong if provoked enough.

“Fine,” Ezra replied, taking the bait. “I will prove you wrong. But if I’m right, you guys owe me a hundred bucks.”

Their lips thinned at the demand but reluctantly nodded their heads in agreement. “Fine, but you have to stay there the  _ whole _ night on hallows eve.”

“Deal,” Ezra smirked. This would be easy money and then he would finally have enough to buy that bike he had been eyeing for over a year now. He zipped up his backpack before swinging it over his shoulder and left behind his leering classmates. 

The walk home was a short but weary one when rain had started to pour from the grey skies and he cursed at himself for forgetting an umbrella. Fall was one of his least favourite seasons. It was always wet and cold and grey and the sun would begin setting earlier and earlier every day, casting the world into shadows. It did not help that he had lost his birth parents during this time on a damp, misty night when their car lost control and crashed. He had been the only survivor, and Ezra felt grateful beyond words to have gotten adopted into the family he had now.

Hera and Kanan were amazing parents, and although they could never replace his birth parents, Ezra loved them to bits. Then there was of course his adoptive sister, Sabine. She played the role of the annoying sister well, but they were best friends despite occasional minor disputes. He smiled at the thought of his family as he walked up to his house.

Ezra slammed the door behind him, slumping his shoulders in relief when he had finally made it inside. Throwing his backpack onto the ground next to his wet shoes, he quickly made his way into the kitchen for an afterschool snack. Opening the fridge, he eyed the contents before grabbing a juice package.

“Pfft, you’re looking great,” a voice said from the dining room that was connected via an archway. Ezra turned to glare at Sabine, who was hunched over a text book covered with notes, her orange and purple hair pulled away from her face by hair clips. His older sister always had to comment on everything, picking on him for her own amusement. 

“Yeah, much like you,” he retorted as he plopped down on the seat across from her. She rolled her eyes and went back to her notes. “What is that gibberish you’re reading?”

“For your information, this is calculus,” Sabine said as she continued scribbling away calculations. “I have a big test next Tuesday.”

“Right after Halloween weekend, that sucks.”

Sabine scoffed. “Well  _ unlike _ you, I have grades to keep up if I want to get into University of Mandalore so I don’t have time to do kiddy things like ‘trick and treating’.”

“You’re no fun,” Ezra grumbled as he chewed on his straw. 

The front door opened and closed, and Ezra turned to see Hera walk in with groceries. She had her hair in her usual fishtail braid and, much like Sabine, their mother also dyed her hair, choosing a green colour to compliment her eyes. Hera smiled when she saw her children at the dining table and put the kettle on the stove.

“Hey kids, I have brought home a treat,” she said, pulling up a dish from a bag. Hera owned her own bakery in the centre of town which had become a huge success since they had moved here two years ago. 

“Hey mom,” Ezra got up and helped put the few remaining groceries away before turning off the flame on the stove, the kettle indicating that the water was boiling with its insistent screeching. The tea brought an aroma of warmth against the dreary autumn weather that stormed outside. Ezra eyed the treat that Hera had brought home with excitement, his mouth watering at the morsel. It was one of his favourite treats of that time of year, pumpkin pie and nothing could beat his mom’s pumpkin pie. 

“Why are you all wet?” Hera asked, amusement sparkling in her soft eyes.

Ezra blushed and mumbled out, “I forgot my umbrella.” Before she could question it any further, Ezra brought up a piece to his mouth and closed his eyes to savour the taste as it melted on his tongue. “Mmm, this is so good, mom!”

Hera chuckled as she took a bite from her own pie. “I’m glad you like it. I have some more in the fridge, too.”

Sabine, who had moved her study notes to make room on the table, leaned in mischievously. “Just make sure you save some for dad, Ezra,” she warned but her voice held no malice as her eyes twinkled with mirth. She knew how much her brother loved pumpkin pie. Ezra rolled his eyes as he stuffed the last piece into his mouth.

“Won’t be my fault if he doesn’t come home in time for his own piece,” he said, shrugging as he contemplated whether to go for seconds now or later. They shared a laugh when the door opened.

“Speak of the devil,” Hera murmured out, smiling as Kanan walked in.

“Is that pumpkin pie I smell?” He said as he ran his hand through his wet hair. Looked like someone else had forgotten their umbrella too, Ezra thought to himself amused. 

“Yeah, better get some before Ezra inhales them all,” Sabine chuckled.

“Hey!” Ezra glared at his sister but could not hide his smile. When Kanan joined them, setting down his cup of tea and plate of pie, Ezra hesitantly spoke up. “So, what are your plans for this weekend?”

“Is there something happening?” Kanan frowned, wondering if he had forgotten something.

“Well, I was sort of invited to this sleepover,” Ezra lied and tried his best to not avert his eyes as guilt started to take root. He rarely ever lied to his family and it was not something he had wanted to do, but he couldn’t tell them that he was going to spend a night in an abandoned house in the middle of a forest. They shared a surprised stare.

“That’s great, dear,” Hera was the first to speak up, a smile breaking out. “I’m glad you’re finally making friends.”

Ezra smiled weakly. It was true that he had not made any friends since they had moved here, which made his parents worried. So it came to no surprise that they would gobble up his lie with eagerness and Ezra could not help but to feel awful about it. 

The day went by faster than Ezra had hoped for and before he knew it, it was time for him to leave and finish this pointless bet. Halloween had fallen on a Saturday that year, although the weather had been less merciful, bestowing them with a layer of fog and grey clouds that threatened to release rain at any given moment. Ezra sighed as he threw his stuffed backpack over his shoulder. He was certain he had everything he needed, not being able to think of anything else, and trotted down the stairs.

Hera popped her head out of the living room when she heard Ezra coming down and smiled. She was dressed in a long, black dress along with a witch’s hat. 

“Not dressing up tonight?” She asked, eyeing him up and down. He was wearing his favourite orange hoodie over a pair of jeans.

“Ah, no,” Ezra grimaced and rubbed the back of his head. “It’s not that serious of a Halloween party, mom.”

“Already so grown up,” Hera said as she ruffled his hair. Ezra smiled tightly, pushing down the guilt that threatened to surface. “I made something for you and your friends, hold on.”

She scuttled to the kitchen and grabbed something off the counter before giving him a ziplock bag. They contained Halloween themed cookies, all neatly decorated with icing and it took all of Ezra’s strength not to confess to his lie then and there. 

“Thanks mom,” he choked out and hugged her before she could get a better glimpse at his half smile. She returned the hug, pulling him closer before parting.

“Everything alright, dear?” Hera asked as she cupped his cheek in worry.

“Yeah,” he breathed out and gave a more believable smile. “I should probably get going. Don’t want to let the boys wait too long.”

Hera smiled and followed Ezra to the door after he managed to stuff the cookies into his already full bag. He bounced down the porch steps and waved to his mom as he ran down the sidewalk. The cold bit at his face, making him slightly regret his choice of attire but did not want to head back inside to grab a warmer jacket. 

“Have fun!” Hera yelled out after him from the doorway, waving her hand back.

“I will!” Ezra replied. When he was finally out of sight, he slowed down and allowed the feigned smile to drop. The walk to the edge of the forest was not a long one and he reached it within ten minutes, tightening his grip on the steps of his bag when he spotted his classmates already waiting.

“Took you long enough, Bridger,” Kevin sneered. “We almost thought you had decided to back out.”

“I never back out,” Ezra leveled, glaring at the boy. They snickered at Ezra’s defensiveness.

“Good to know,” he smirked and Zare shoved a paper into Ezra’s chest. It was a map with the location of the mansion, which was rather pointless considering that everyone, including Ezra, already knew where it was found. He realised it was more to insult him than to help him.

They stepped to the side to make way for Ezra to walk into the whispering forest. Zare extended his arm out in invitation. “To your death then, Bridger.”

“No need for dramatics,” Ezra said as he rolled his eyes. He pushed forward, shoving them with his shoulder as he walked past and ignored their shared snickers of laughter. They were so annoying and he was almost glad that he had no friends if these kids were the only options to choose from. 

The path was barely visible, covered by damp, autumn leaves and creeping vines, having not been cleared in a while. He had already had to throw his arms out a few times, gripping to the branches of nearby trees to prevent himself from falling as he slipped in the shallow mud, spilling out a string of curses. It had already begun to get dark during his walk, the skies parting to allow the rising full moon to peer over Ezra, allowing slivers of light to guide him through the mist. 

His steps faltered when he had reached his destination, his breath catching in his throat. Surrounded by a warped fence that towered over Ezra with its thin, black stems adorned with spikes on top, stood the once beautiful Victorian home, now crooked and deformed. The outer wooden planks splintered and bent from years of rotting, causing the house to look as if it had been titled. On top of the roof, the tiles had begun to crumble away, exposing some of the skeletal frame underneath, much like the flesh breaking off a decaying corpse. The dark windows, some shattered, stared back at Ezra with a sense of hollowness that sent a shiver of unease down his spine.

The mansion was a lot more imposing than the photos he had seen on the postcards, and he blamed it on the fact that it was the night of Halloween and the fog was not helping to ease the mood. There was an air about the place that caused the hair on his neck to stand on end and his muscles screamed to run, but Ezra ignored it all as he stepped forward. What was the worst that could happen?


	2. The Mansion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezra explores the abandoned house

Ezra opened the gate, half expecting it to topple over, but it didn’t and the gate swung open with a creak. Continuing up the broken path, he hesitantly took a step onto the old porch which groaned beneath his weight. The floorboards did not give away and Ezra moved forward, his hand reaching out for the door handle. The door opened up to reveal a solemn darkness that felt like it would swallow him whole if he dared step into it. Calming his nerves, he took out his flashlight from his backpack and switched it on, the light peering into the shadows, exposing the dusty insides of the mansion. Ezra forced his stiff legs to move and took a tentative step inside, immediately shivering as a coldness enveloped him. 

It was much colder inside than outside, probably from the poor insulation and decaying walls and broken windows, he thought as he rubbed his arms. There was a sinking feeling in the back of his mind, one that made his stomach churn with unease. It almost felt as if he had walked into a lair of a beast, awakening something that should have remained asleep. Something indescribably dreadful. 

Ezra ignored these warning bells, pushing these feelings down as he stepped further into the house, gasping in fright when the door slammed shut behind him. “Must have been the wind,” he mumbled out loud, not entirely believing his own words. He was here now and there was no turning back. The kids would forever make fun of him and he did not think his pride could ever recover from that, much less losing any possibility of ever making friends. 

Glancing around the dusty hallway, his eyes skimmed over the peeling wallpaper decorated by frames containing unidentifiable pictures and he stopped under the nearest archway to his right. He took a deep breath, regretting the action instantly as he fought the urge to sneeze. Ezra walked to the archway and peered inside. It appeared to be a moderate-sized drawing room with a rusted candle-lit chandelier that hung above a broken table. There was a deep-red coloured loveseat with deep rips into its cushions and two matching arm chairs to accompany it in front of a modest fireplace. Stained rugs and thick curtains decorated the place, now molded, giving off a thick stench of must and on the floor were books long withered away from the dampness.

Wrinkling his nose, Ezra turned away having already seen enough of the room. Not much further down the hallway was the kitchen and an impressive staircase that spiraled up to the first floor. He decided to quickly peek inside the large kitchen whose black and white tiles were stained a dark red, which Ezra assumed was rust from the Victorian oven that had caved in long ago. Most of the cabinets had long since given away to rot, littering the floor with their remains. 

“Only a clean freak would consider this place haunted,” Ezra murmured to himself, amused. Thus far, just as he had anticipated, there had been nothing particularly odd about the house, even having expected the decaying interior and the stench that accompanied it. This was going to be really easy money with only having to deal with the boredom that would soon follow once he had finished exploring the building. 

He exited the kitchen and that was when his steps faltered. There was a damp coldness to this place that seeped deep into Ezra’s bones, earning him a violent shudder. It felt almost as if someone was watching him from the shadows, but that could not be right. There was no one else here other than him, however, he wondered for a brief moment if he had spoken too soon. Ezra scoffed at himself for even thinking such a thought. Of course ghosts did not exist and he chided himself for allowing such a foolish idea to cross his mind, blaming his classmates and television. 

The hallway stretched much further down into the shadows but Ezra felt an odd pull to go up stairs. The staircase, although rotting, seemed stable enough to climb and Ezra hesitantly tested its strength by gingerly placing his foot upon the first step. It groaned as he placed his weight on it, but it did not give away as he paced his second foot on it. He grew more confident when the next few stairs also did not collapse, marveling at the strength of the wood. 

Ezra stifled a scream, however, when his left foot broke through the rotting wood, causing him to lurch forward in surprise. After catching his breath and calming his heart down, he slowly pulled his foot up from the hole, wincing when his leg scraped against the splintered wood. Once out, he gingerly lifted his ripped pant leg to reveal a few bleeding scratches. They were mostly all superficial, not too deep but they stung nonetheless.

He inwardly cursed. Of all the things he brought along with him that night, he had not brought any disinfectant or bandaids. It would be a miracle if his wound did not get infected from this dump of a place, he thought to himself as he lowered his pants. Ezra grimaced at the idea of how embarrassing it would be if he died of an infection after his stay in a supposedly haunted house. He could only imagine it would only spur his classmates into thinking it was the will of the ghosts of the past, a curse to set foot in this place. 

He rolled his eyes at the thought and continued onwards up the stairs, he might as well, considering he had already made it halfway. Ezra ignored the stinging of his leg as he placed his weight onto it with every careful step, now weary of the creaking wood beneath him. He considered himself fortunate enough to not have sprained it. 

Ezra sighed in relief when he finally made it to the first floor, the wide hallway covered in carpet whose etchings had faded and lost its lustrous colours over the years. The feeling of someone watching him intensified up here, causing his hair on his neck to stand on end as a shiver ran its course through his body. He beamed his flashlight quickly down both ends of the hallways hoping to catch a glimpse of who was causing this feeling of unease, only to be met with empty space.

“This is getting ridiculous,” he murmured to himself, frowning. “I must be losing my mind.”

Shaking his head, he went down the shorter part of the hallway until he reached the last door that was already open for him as if in invitation. It was what Ezra assumed to be a lavish guest bedroom with a four-poster bed still neatly dressed as if awaiting visitors to arrive for the night. It was relatively intact despite the stale stench, though he couldn’t say the same for the other pieces of furniture in the room. The closet’s doors had already come off their hinges, lying rotting on the worn out carpets next to an equally worn out chair whose cushions had deep rip marks embedded into them. These were not the first cushions he had seen with tears in this house and he went to them for a closer inspection.

They almost looked like claw marks and Ezra was drawn to them, leaning in to trace the ripped fabrics. He idly wondered what kind of creature could have caused these. It would have been a large dog or a cat of some kind; perhaps an exotic pet that the owner of the mansion had. Then, from the corner of his eye, Ezra caught something and pulled away from the tears in the cushion. It had been a shadow and Ezra darted his light after it but found nothing.

He felt his stomach feel queasy as unease settled deep within his bones. His legs began to move towards the bed where he had seen the shadow disappear to and upon the lush sheets was a dark stain that travelled vertically down from the pillows towards the midpoint of the bed. Leaning in, Ezra deduced it to be blood -  _ very _ old blood. He shied away from the stains when his thoughts dwelled on his literature class when he learnt about deflowering, blushing slightly in hopes that these stains weren’t from said delicate topic. 

Ezra, feeling too flustered to consider the possibility that the blood could have been from elsewhere, fled the room only to trip over an upturned corner of the carpet. Landing with a grunt, Ezra looked up to see reflected light glaring at him from a dozen eyeballs. His throat constricted with fear and he let out a scream when bats flew out from under the bed and through the shattered window. That would at least explain the shadow he had seen earlier, Ezra inwardly fumed, embarrassed at having been caught off guard in such a manner.

Getting up, he shuffled out of the bedroom and into the hallway that stretched out far and wide into the shadows. Ezra stalked by a few rooms, sparing quick glances rather than exploring, hoping for something more eye-catching. Most of them were small bedrooms and bathrooms, each in poorer condition than the last and he was starting to grow bored. What he had really wanted to see was the master bedroom. He could only imagine how magnificent it would be. When he did find it, the entrance to the master chambers were as exciting as Ezra had hoped; the wooden double doors engraved with fine craftsmanship, lavished by gold detailing. He held his breath as he pushed the door open and peered inside, casting light around the dark room.

Ezra’s shoulders deflated with a small sense of disappointment when he was met mostly by sheet covered furnishings. 

Faded Persian rugs scattered over the wooden floors, absorbing Ezra’s footsteps as he went to examine the first piece of furniture. Pulling up the fabric, he peeked beneath and was greeted with a mahogany chest with gold and it was in relatively good condition. This came to a surprise considering the state of the rest of the house. He decided not to dwell on it, resisting the urge to open the drawers to peer inside and allowed the sheet to fall back over the dresser. 

His attention turned to the grand bed placed in the far side of the room, adorned in deep reds of silk. It reeked of stale air but Ezra could not help but to press down with his hand and marveled at how much softer the mattress was than his bed back home. The sheets were velvet to the touch and he had found himself almost reluctant to withdraw his hand. If it weren’t for the fact that the musty smell may never come out, he would have considered the idea of taking the sheets home.

Sighing, Ezra turned away from the bed and peered around the room to see what he could explore next. Near to the bed was a small yet elegant black fireplace and beside it was a thin, rectangular object draped in a sheet. He felt oddly compelled by it and Ezra briefly wondered if it was due to the fact that the sheets were red instead of a white like the other furnishings. Almost hesitantly, Ezra crouched and lifted up the covering and came face to face with a man, whose face was contorted in deep rage and hatred and stared into the boy’s very soul with piercing, yellow eyes, cold as ice. 

Ezra gasped in horror and recoiled from the demon-looking man, dropping the sheet and nearly lost his balance. He shuddered violently, still feeling the coldness seeping deep within his bones from the man’s penetrating gaze. Grasping at his hammering heart, Ezra took deep breaths to regain his composure. 

“It was only a painting,” he breathed out in reassurance. “Only a painting.”

Steeling his nerves, he dared to lift the drapes again to prove that it was indeed only a painting and that it could do him no harm. His mouth hung open in disbelief when the painting revealed the same, and yet different, man. The man was more human, his eyes a warm blue and his face was that of serenity and kindness. 

“Maybe it was just a trick of the lighting,” Ezra murmured out as he wearily stared at the painting a while longer before dropping the sheet. He straightened up from his crouched position and stiffened when he felt a sudden coldness followed by a warm weight brushing against his shoulders and neck. It almost felt as if it were a hand and Ezra twisted around, wildly flashing his light into the darkness. His heart stuttered when he found nothing, not even a shadow of what could have touched him. The warm touch was still there, penetrating through his hoodie and into his skin, and it made Ezra withdraw from the painting.

“Just my imagination,” he murmured out, desperately trying to believe his words. Ezra did not believe in ghosts and other mythical creatures, and he did not want to start now. He had too much pride to have a change of heart, knowing that his classmates would only snicker in victory. No, this house was not haunted. Nodding his head in affirmation, Ezra decided to explore more to ease his anxious nerves. 

There was a door, already ajar, nearby and Ezra pushed it open to walk into a large ensuite. It was surprisingly clean, the slightly chipped tiles were white and held no stains and the amenities were in decent condition despite the age and state of the house. And before Ezra knew it, he had found himself walking towards the opulent bathtub placed against the far wall. There was just something about the tub that made it so captivating, as to what it was exactly, Ezra did not know. His feet stopped and he leaned over the edge to peer inside.

There was a viscous looking fluid at the bottom of the tub and against his better judgement, Ezra felt himself mesmerised by it, dipping his finger into the liquid. The spell was broken instantly and Ezra recoiled in horror. The liquid was warm, and his heart pounded as he looked down at his fingers and his stomach churned in disgust causing him to almost gag. It was blood. The bathtub was filled with  _ warm _ blood.

The realisation made Ezra take a step back, his feet heavy from the shock, and suddenly he found himself falling backwards, having slipped on something wet. He landed with a painful grunt as his head came into contact with the tiled floor, and it took him a moment to dispel the dizziness. Groaning, he slowly sat up, rubbing the bruise that was already forming on the back of his skull and looked down to see what he had slipped on. 

“What the-?!” His breath hitched as he stared at the red liquid staining the tiles, it had been blood. The once pristine bathroom was now drenched with oozing fluid and Ezra scrambled to his feet in terror, nearly losing his footing again as his shoes fought for purchase against the wet floor. Ezra did not even stop as he bolted out of the bedroom and down the stairs, forgetting about the broken step.

His foot fell through the hole, again, and Ezra screamed in fright as he fell forward, tumbling down the staircase. He landed with a thud and he laid there on the floor for a moment, dazed and in pain. His body ached from bruises and his ankle throbbed with a sharp stinging sensation and Ezra was certain that this time he had sprained his ankle. He hissed as he moved carefully into an upright position, using the wall for support and gingerly lifted his blood-stained pants to reveal his ankle glaring back at him in an angry shade of red and very swollen.

Suddenly, the night at the mansion did not seem so fun anymore. Ezra wanted nothing more than to be home in the comfort of his bed, but considering the condition he was in, he knew it would be unwise to tread the already barely visible paths in the dark. From the window above the front door, Ezra could see that clouds had gathered, blocking any tendrils of light offered by the moon and in the silence, he could hear the pitter-pattering sound of rain against the black windows. 

Heaving a sigh of misery, Ezra leaned forward to shrug off his backpack and grabbed the blanket from within. A plastic bag fell out and it took him a moment to realise they were the cookies his mom had made him, now crushed into finer pieces after having been tossed down the stairs and having his weight placed onto it. His eyes misted as he grabbed the ziplock bag after snuggling into his blankets and opened it. He missed his mom in that moment, wanting nothing more than to be cuddling with his family on the couch, watching horror movies like they usually did this time of year.

Ezra munched on the cookies, feeling somewhat more relaxed with the taste of home. He could not explain what had happened upstairs in the master chambers; the feeling of someone brushing against him, the bloodbath that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the bathroom. But his logical, more stubborn side still refused the possibility of ghosts. It had to be Zare, Jai, and Kevin pulling his leg, tricking him into believing that they had not joined him on his trip to the mansion. It was, after all, them who had dared Ezra to stay the night here, and they were certain that the boy would be frightened, and besides, he doubted that they would want to cough up the hundred bucks should Ezra succeed. 

Scowling at the bloodstains on his jeans, Ezra nodded his head with confidence. Yes, the blood had to be fake, placed there by his classmates with the hope of giving him a good scare, in which they had been successful. And yet, the unease did not dissipate with these thoughts as the feeling of someone watching him continued. This was totally not worth the hundred dollars anymore.

There was a sudden thud coming from the lounge room, causing Ezra to jump, dropping the cookie he had been munching on. He held his breath as he waited for something else to happen, but nothing did as silence filled the room other than the continuous dull sound of rain. Steeling his nerves, he lowered the bag of cookies, setting them next to his backpack as he used the wall to help him up onto his feet. He continued to use the wall to aid him as Ezra shuffled towards the lounge room with an awkward gait as he tried to use his injured leg as little as possible.

He shouldn’t even be doing this, suddenly feeling very much like the typical characters from horror movies that he had always made fun of. Ezra knew he should, instead, run away and hide anywhere safer and yet, his body kept going towards the lounge room. His heart pounded as he peered inside, shining his flashlight slowly across the room. No one was there. He huffed out a breath of air in irritation as he glared into the room. 

“Okay guys,” Ezra said, limping into the room. “You can come out now. Your pranks are no longer amusing.”

He stiffened when he felt a hot wave of air waft down his neck before a hoarse voice whispered into his ear, “Oh, but it was very amusing to me.”

_ Oh, kriff! _ He inwardly cursed, this was definitely not one of his classmates! Ezra hastily turned around and the light beamed onto an imposing figure with wild, yellow eyes. He gasped, lurching away with a scream when he realised it was the very same man from the painting upstairs. Losing his footing, he fell back and the flashlight clattered to the ground, flickering to reveal that the man was no longer there before finally giving out, encasing the room in darkness.

“ _ No! _ ” Ezra moaned out as he desperately whacked the flashlight into his palm in hopes of it turning on again. It didn’t and his throat constricted with fear, panic overwhelming his senses as his eyes strained into the shadows, hoping to locate where the demon-like man could have disappeared off to. He knew that this creature was still out there, lurking, watching him like a hunter waiting to pounce on its prey.

Ezra had to get out of there. He could forget his stubborn pride, the delusional thoughts of his classmates pranking him no longer being believable. Ignoring his throbbing ankle, he pushed off the ground and began to crawl to where he remembered the doorway was. If he could make it there, then the front door would be just around the bend and then he could escape this wretched place, never to return. 

His breath came out in ragged pants as he desperately clawed at the wooden floor and was overcome with relief when his fingers grabbed onto the ledge of the doorway. Ezra pulled himself forward when suddenly a claw seized his bad ankle and he howled in pain as he felt its sharp nails digging into his flesh. He fiercely fought to hold onto the doorway when something yanked him, and cried out when his fingers slipped. The wooden floor offered no purchase as splinters pierced into his skin as he was dragged back into the lounge room. 

Ezra was suddenly hauled up to his feet and he struggled in the man’s grip when a strong arm encircled itself around his chest, ensnaring his arms. He tried to kick instead but it was a futile effort when this man with inhuman strength did not budge, and tears began to fall down at the hopeless situation.

“Please,” he whimpered out. “I-I’m sorry! I’ll leave this place, just please don’t hurt me!”

The man chuckled, his voice deep and rich with cold amusement. 

“I don’t intend for you to leave this place,” he said into the boy's ears, and Ezra’s heart dropped at the words. “I was cursed into a deep slumber until your presence somehow broke me from my stupor. Peculiar, isn’t it?” He paused to chuckle before leaning in closer to Ezra’s neck, and he froze when the creature took a deep whiff. “And now… now I’m  _ starving _ .”

“N-no, wait!” The boy begged as a hand clawed Ezra’s hair, pulling his head to the side to expose his neck more to the demon’s mouth. “Pl-please, no-AAAAAAAHHHH!!”

A shriek ripped from Ezra’s throat when he felt sharp fangs sink into his neck. There was a searing pain, his skin felt as if it were on fire as the monster began sucking his blood. The realisation of what was happening shook Ezra to the core with horror and disbelief. This couldn’t have been happening and yet it was, and he could feel the teeth dig deeper into his muscles. Helpless tears poured down his face.

His body began to go limp against his will, growing weaker as more blood left him. The pain began to fade away, replaced by an odd sensation of bliss as his head began to feel more and more light. Ezra leaned into the fangs, willing the creature closer as his eyes rolled back in euphoria. His vision began to darken as his eyelids grew heavier and heavier with every passing moment. There was a gurgling choking noise that sounded distant and distorted in his ears and it took him a moment to realise that it was coming from him.

Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Ezra slipped out of consciousness, his world turning into a numb slate of darkness.


	3. Blue Rare

Dark tendrils wrapped themselves around Ezra, embracing him in an almost protective cocoon, if it weren’t for the constant pain that throbbed through his body. It began as a dull discomfort at his neck before spreading like wildfire, setting every nerve ending aflame. He opened his mouth to scream but no sound came out and the dark tendrils forced their way between his parted lips like viscous fluid, dripping down his throat. Ezra had no choice but to swallow the foul tasting liquid, out of fear of choking. The pain was still there but far more muted than before, feeling more like hot coals after a fire had died down. Then darkness enveloped him, pulling him into a deep slumber once again.

Ezra gasped as he jerked awake, his skin coated in a thick layer of sweat that plastered his bangs to his forehead. He wiped away at the sweat, running his hand through his hair as he panted, confused as to why he had such a dreadful headache. It almost felt as if he had been hit by a bus. Memories poured back into his mind, filling the blank gaps and snapped his head around in search of that man he had seen last night, the beast who had sunk his teeth into his neck. 

His hand flew up this neck and his breath hitched when he felt smooth skin. There was no sign at all that someone had bitten into his flesh and his brows furrowed in confusion. 

“I could have sworn…” Ezra’s voice trailed off when he realised that his ankle had also stopped throbbing. Just as he had been very certain of the man last night, he was also _very_ certain that he had sprained his ankle by falling down the stairs. And another peculiar thing was that all the blood that had stained his clothing was also gone. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened last night.

Had it all been a strange nightmare?

Ezra would have said no, that it had all been too real and that the inkling feeling in the back of his mind was saying otherwise. But he could not help but to feel relieved at the prospect that it _could_ have been a dream, one spurred by tales of Halloween. And thus, he decided that it was a dream after all, probably procreated after he hit his head or something of the sorts and had passed out, which would explain his headache. Still, he wanted nothing more than to leave this cursed place. 

Letting out a shuddering breath, Ezra picked himself off of the ground and hesitantly walked towards the doorway. He peered around the corner before deeming it safe enough to step out in the hallway and made a quick grab for his backpack, stuffing the blanket inside. Ezra barely even zipped up his bag, his hands were trembling too much to work properly, and he threw it over his shoulder before bolting out of the front door, nearly tripping over his stiff feet. 

Ezra did not stop running as he sank into the mud left behind from the night’s rain, nearly losing a shoe once or twice. The cold mist bit as his face, dampening his skin with droplets of water and obscuring his vision as branches grabbed at him, tearing at his flesh and clothes in their attempts to keep him from leaving the Forgotten Forest. Ezra’s lips broke out into a relieved smile when he saw the trees beginning to thin, giving way to pavement. In his momentary distraction, he slipped and face planted with a cry. 

He groaned as he heaved himself up, scowling when the frigid mud began to seep into his clothes. “Great, just what I needed,” Ezra grumbled out, shaking his limbs in hopes of getting rid of some of the mud. Wiping his face clean, he continued towards the road in a slower pace, his muscles straining from having run all this way. 

Ezra felt relief wash over him when his house came into view as the street lamps switched on, surprising him. He stopped and stared at the lights in confusion. It couldn’t have been night already, he had _just_ woken up. He shrugged it off, wanting nothing more than to be in the safety and comfort of his home. Running up the stairs of his porch, Ezra swung the door open and hopped inside into the warmth only to be thrown back.

He looked up at the doorway in confusion as his body ached with a dull stinging pain. Ezra hesitantly scanned around the frame, searching to see if Sabine had placed something as a prank to prevent him from coming inside. He couldn’t see anything and his frown deepened. 

“What are you doing, silly. Come on in,” Hera said, beckoning him inside. Ezra dumbly nodded and took a tentative step inside. This time nothing happened as he walked through the doorway. Hera paused, frowning. “What happened to you?”

Ezra looked down and grimaced at the sight, he was completely covered in mud. “I… we played outside and I kind of fell,” he replied lamely, rubbing the back of his head. His mom gave him a weary look that told him she did not quite believe him, but felt relieved when she didn’t push for answers.

“Well, go take a shower, honey, and then come down to join us for dinner, okay?”

“Yes, mom,” Ezra smiled, feeling very happy to be home. Clumsily pulling off his shoes, he made his way to the bathroom after grabbing new clothes and sighed in relief when hot water washed away the grime from his body. 

Feeling refreshed and clean, Ezra strutted down the stairs and into the kitchen. Hera was mixing minced meat with spices while Sabine leaned against the counter, observing. They stopped chatting when they saw Ezra approach them and smiled.

“Heard you came back home drenched in mud,” Sabine snickered and gave a knowing smirk. “Had fun?”

Ezra glared at her. “If you must know, yes, I had a very fun and interesting night,” he huffed out, putting on his sarcastic tone. Sabine rolled her eyes before pushing off the counter and helping cut vegetables. “Are we having burgers?”

“Yes, we are,” Hera smiled and paused to look at Ezra. “How would you like yours?”

His mouth watered as he stared at the meat, it looked oddly enough very appetising raw. Ezra opened and closed his mouth a few times, frowning in confusion and for some reason his upper jaw began to ache slightly. 

“Uh, well done,” he stammered out, “Wait, no! M-medium! I-I mean medium-rare! Agh, no wait! Blue rare! Yes, blue rare!”

Ezra let out a breath of air after finally managing to say what he wanted, feeling somewhat relieved he had gotten that over with. He turned his gaze up to his family who stared back at him with a look of pure confusion, their mouths slightly agape as if unable to comprehend what Ezra was saying.

“I meant toppings, dear,” Hera finally said after a moment of silence, still slightly stunned at her son’s outburst. Ezra’s face heated up, feeling completely embarrassed that he had completely misinterpreted his mother’s question. He had no idea what overcame him that he had wanted his burger that rare; he never ate meat more raw than medium-rare, and so the sudden craving to have it blue rare was bizarre.

“You also know eating minced meat practically raw is a hazard to your health, right?” Sabine stated, one of her eyebrows raised skeptically. 

“Y-yes, I know,” Ezra mumbled out, still flustered. “I… I’ll go set up the table…”

Sabine and Hera exchanged worried glances as they watched Ezra awkwardly bring out plates and cutlery to the dining table. The food was done just in time when Kanan came home, having been called to work, and they sat together at the table. Ezra stared at his browned patty perhaps longer than necessary.

“Everything alright there, Ezra?” 

“Hmm?” Ezra looked up to see his family staring at him. His cheeks grew warm and he gave an awkward half-smile. “Ah, yes. Everything’s alright, I just feel slightly, uh, dazed,” he finished lamely and reached for the ketchup, squeezing out the sauce until it covered the meat completely in a thick layer of red. 

“Stayed up late last night, then?” Kanan asked, smiling as if recalling his own childhood. 

“Yeah,” Ezra grinned, stamping down the guilt. It was getting harder and harder to fabricate this lie, and decided it would be best for a topic change. “How was work? I heard you got called in?” 

Kanan finished chewing and everyone leaned in for some news. It wasn’t often that something happened for him to get called into work, crime was quite low in this peaceful town after all. “Ah, it was nothing, really,” he vaguely answered, his face slightly pale. “It was just some ravaged animal attack and will be sorted out soon enough.”

“Someone died?” The boy asked, and Sabine shot him a glare.

“Ezra,” she warned, “Dad had a long day, give it a rest.”

“No, it’s fine,” Kanan cleared his throat. “Someone did, unfortunately, die, but there is no need for panic. The animal who did this will be found and dealt with by the animal control.”

Ezra frowned. There were no large predators in their area that he knew of, which would leave the only possibility to be a very hungry stray dog that could have killed someone. And yet, in the very back of his mind, Ezra knew that it wasn’t a dog. How he knew this, was a mystery to him, and he did not want to mull over it, feeling the strange inkling feeling he had felt back in that wretched mansion. 

A thick silence fell over the dining table as his family continued to eat. 

“Aren’t you going to eat, dear?” His mother finally spoke up, snapping Ezra out of his thoughts.

“Ah, yes,” he said as he grabbed his hamburger and almost reluctantly brought it to his lips. For some reason, the food seemed to have killed his appetite, the cooked meat being much less mouth watering than when it had been raw. The thought weirded him out, but pushed it down as he bit into the burger. 

Ezra had to force himself not to gag, the food having been one of the blandest things he had ever tasted, drying his mouth almost immediately. He coughed it down, chugging water to rinse away the remains. 

“Are you okay?” Sabine asked as she leaned in. Ezra waved his hand in dismissal. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he choked out, and lied, “Just got a piece stuck in my throat.”

Ezra continued to eat his meal, despite his body begging him not to. He knew he had to eat, there was no way he couldn’t be hungry after having slept the entire night and day. He sighed in relief when he had finally finished eating, leaning back into his chair to relax as he fought the uneasiness of his stomach. 

“That was good. Thank you, mom,” he sighed out.

“Hey, I helped too, you know,” Sabine muttered out. Kanan smiled at the scene as he began picking up the dirty plates and cutlery, and took them to the sink. 

“Pfft, if you had actually cooked, then I don’t think we would be here,” Ezra stuck his tongue out as he got up from his seat. “I think I am going to bed earlier, I kind of feel tired after having been up all night.”

It was half a lie, though he felt more sick than tired. 

“Alright, do you need anything else before bed?” Hera asked gingerly, and Ezra smiled, basking in the warmth of his mother’s love. He felt so lucky to have been adopted into this family. 

“Nah,” he shook his head and left the dining room.

“Going to bed so soon?” Kanan asked when he spotted Ezra leaving.

“Yeah, feeling tired,” he said. “Goodnight!” 

He heard his family wishing him a goodnight back as he closed his door and plopped onto his bed. Curling into a ball, his stomach churned and caused him to feel even more uneasy, his food threatening to come back up. Luckily, nothing did and he fell into a restless slumber.

Ezra found himself in total darkness. He looked around, peering into the shadows in the hopes of finding a sign as to where he was when all of a sudden a candle lit up in the distance, its flames flickering weakly. With careful steps, he walked towards the it, attracted to it like a moth to a light. In its warm glow, Ezra could finally make out details of his surroundings. 

Beautiful wallpaper decorated the wall, adorned with various frames, deer skulls, and other interesting trinkets. There was a movement against the wall, almost lethargic and mesmerizing that Ezra could not help but to lean in for closer inspection. It gleamed under the flickering light and had an aroma that made his throat constrict with hunger as saliva pooled into his mouth. Extending his finger, Ezra dipped his finger into the viscous fluid and brought it up to his face, his tongue extending to have a taste when he froze.

More fluid had begun to ooze out from the wall, the smell overwhelming his senses, making him lightheaded. But he ignored the sensation as horror took its root. It was blood that was pushing itself out from the walls and he had nearly licked it! Ezra reeled away from the wall, suddenly feeling sick that he had _wanted_ to drink the blood. His back collided with something hard and he flinched when bloodied arms wrapped around him, holding him in place.

“Soon, my spawn,” the man chuckled deeply, his voice having an unhinged tone to it. “Soon, I will come for you.”

“No,” Ezra whispered out and tried to struggle, but his body felt too heavy. Blood began dripping from the ceiling, splattering onto his forehead and the droplets rolled down, but Ezra refused to open his mouth despite the growing burning sensation in his throat. 

The man laughed at the boy’s defiance. “Soon I will, and there will be nothing to stop me.”

“No!” Ezra said a bit louder this time, the blood dripping onto his lips and his pupils dilated at the taste. 

“Embrace what you are, my apprentice. Drink the blood.”

“NO!”

Ezra woke with a start, gasping for air as he clutched his sheets tightly around him. There was a click of the door, and the lights flickered on. His eyes snapped up to see his dad and mom standing by his doorway with worried expressions. 

“Is everything alright? We heard you scream,” Hera said in a soft voice. Ezra could only nod, still being much too frightened from his nightmare to speak. 

“I’ll go get some warm milk,” Kanan announced as he disappeared back into the shadows and downstairs. Hera walked in, leaving the door slightly ajar as she sat on the edge of the bed, taking Ezra into her arms.

“Shh,” she rubbed his back in calming motions as Ezra sobbed into her shoulders. “It’ll be alright, it was only a dream. Shh.”

As comforting as her words may be, Ezra could not find himself believing them. The nightmare had felt so real... and the man... he remembered that man from the house! But hadn’t that only been a dream?. _Soon, I will come for you_. The words echoed in his head, sending a violent shiver down his spine and he tightened his hold onto his mom.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hera asked and the boy shook his head. There was no way he would be able to explain his nightmare to his mom and the man from his previous dream at the mansion. Kanan walked and handed Ezra a warm glass of milk. It was something they always got him when he had nightmares as a little kid and it had always worked to calm his nerves, but now his stomach churned at the sight of the drink.

He gave a silent thanks as he downed the milk, despite having his stomach having its own reservations. His parents made a move to leave and Ezra quickly reached out with his hand, grabbing his mom’s wrist.

“Please don’t go,” he whispered out, and Hera sat back down on the bed whereas Kanan took a seat by Ezra’s desk. “Please wait until I’m asleep.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Kanan promised, his teal eyes softening. Ezra took in the words of comfort with desperation as he sank into his pillows. His mom tucked him in better and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead as she continued to comb through his sweat-ridden hair. Kanan, in a gentle voice, began to tell a short bedtime story, and combined with the tender touch of his mother, Ezra’s eyes began to droop and he felt himself slip away into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am taking vampire lore from different places and basically combining pieces that I like. The transformation is not immediate, for those who are wondering ;)  
> Blue rare is when just the outer part of the meat is cooked and the insides are practically raw.  
> Thank you for reading:)


	4. Strange Changes

Morning had come all too soon as his alarm clock jabbed needles into his ears. Ezra groaned as he stirred in his warm bed, feeling reluctant to get up. His jaw hurt even more than the previous night, having transformed into a dull throb rather than the momentary pain he had experienced when he had stared at the raw meat. He really hoped he didn’t have cavities, dental trips had never been his favourite although he never had cavities that felt like this before. 

Turning off the alarm clock after he heard banging on the wall from Sabine, whose room was next to his, and he groggily got up. He felt more tired than he ever had, despite having slept for so long. Forcing himself out of bed, Ezra got dressed for the day and made his way downstairs for breakfast. Grabbing his favourite cereal, he faltered as he stared at the box with slight unease. Instead of the usual eagerness he would feel to chow down his breakfast, he felt his stomach coil in disgust and he slowly set the cereal back down on the counter. Maybe he would just skip breakfast that day, perhaps his body was still recovering from shock from the mansion and possibly last night’s nightmare. 

Ezra shuddered at the memory of the cruel man and his body reacted to the image of blood, flushing with hunger. Frowning, Ezra stomped down the feeling as he pushed passed Sabine up the stairs and to the bathroom to finish up his morning routine. He couldn’t possibly feel hungry from thinking of the vile red substance known as blood, it just wasn’t feasible unless this was a sign that he had watched too much television and read too many books, and quite possibly was just overthinking the whole thing. Sighing, he picked up his toothbrush and smeared toothpaste on top, hoping to get away from the disturbing thoughts. 

Brushing his teeth, he looked up into the mirror for the first time since he had come home and nearly jumped out of his skin. His skin was far paler than usual and there were dark circles beneath his eyes, betraying how tired he really was. What was more frightening, however, was the fact that his reflection looked almost transparent as if he were fading away with every passing second. Ezra gasped at the ghastly sight, and quickly looked away, unable to comprehend what he was seeing and quickly finished up before fleeing the bathroom.

The mirror incident had freaked him out and he was struggling to come up with a feasible explanation. There was no way that Sabine would know how to do a prank with that type of effect, could she?

“Sabine,” Ezra hesitantly called out when he saw her in the hallway and she looked up from her phone at him with raised eyebrows. “Did you do something to the mirror?”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, “No, I haven’t. Why?”

“Oh, nothing then,” he nervously laughed, and rubbed the back of his head. He really needed to get rid of that nervous habit of his, he was certain that his family knew his body language very well by this point. “I thought you were the one that placed the spider there to scare me.”

It was a lie, but there was no way he could tell her that his reflection was transparent. She would think he was crazier than she already thought he was. Sabine slowly nodded her head, still gazing at him with a degree of suspicion. 

“Alright, weirdo,” she said, ruffling his hair as she went into her bedroom. Ezra sighed in relief that she had not decided to question him, he did not know how many more lies he could tell anymore. 

Sabine and Ezra said their quick goodbyes to their parents before they walked together to school. The morning was shadowed by clouds, the bitter winds sweeping across the damp, decaying leaves that littered the streets and pavement. Ezra would have normally complained about the cold, not able to handle it well in comparison to his sister, but that morning, it did not feel chilly despite the temperature hovering close to five degrees Celsius. Perhaps he was finally getting used to the colder climate, or he really was getting sick with what had been happening to him lately. 

He warily eyed the school as he approached the front doors, remembering what had happened the previous day. Tentatively, Ezra took a step forward, screwing his eyes shut in anticipation of being denied access into the building much like what had happened the previous day when he had first attempted to walk into his home.. When nothing happened, he slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was standing inside the school foyer.  _ I must be really losing my mind _ , Ezra inwardly sighed and headed towards his homeroom. 

Zare, Kevin, and Jai were chatting, crackling over some jokes when Ezra entered the classroom. They stopped and stared at him, snickering under their breaths as they threw a paper ball at him.

“Ezra!” Kevin called out, grinning as the boy approached them wearily. Ezra opened his mouth to announce that he had won their bet and they owed him money when the teacher walked in, declaring the beginning of their first class. Mrs. Cooper was a strict, elderly woman who accepted no dilly-dallying during her lessons, her ice blue eyes piercing into anyone who had the audacity to even cough. The boys gave each other a hard stare before taking their seats. Ezra supposed their business would just have to wait.

Time seemed to move agonisingly slowly until lunch time had finally arrived and the boys swaggered over towards Ezra with an air of confidence. Ezra decided to take this as a sign that things would not go as smoothly as he would have hoped for.

“You guys owe me a hundred bucks,” he said, smirking as he leaned forward onto his desk. The boys just snickered.

“Did you actually even spend the night there?” Zare asked, his face contorted in disbelief, his lips twitching trying to hold back his laugh and failing miserably. 

Ezra glared at them, unamused at their accusations.  _ They don’t believe you _ , something purred at the back of Ezra’s mind, it sounded like his own voice and yet it sounded too distorted to be his own.  _ They think of you as nothing more than a worm squirming helplessly at the beaks of so-proclaimed vultures.  _

“Yes, I did, now cough it up,” he demanded again, holding out his hand expectedly. 

“Yeah right, as if we’d believe you,” Kevin retorted, slapping Ezra’s hand away. 

“But I  _ did _ ,” Ezra’s voice began to rise in anger.  _ Yes, feel the anger, let it fuel you. Use its power to dominate those low lives, put them in their place.  _

“Then what proof do you have?” Kevin asked, and they leaned forward, knowing that Ezra would not have any.

“I don’t have any, but I slept there all night,” Ezra continued, holding his ground like a stubborn bull. He had not spent all night in that wretched place for nothing!

“As if,” Jai joined in. “Since you have no proof, you don’t get any money. Besides, we all know you’re lying, probably too much of a wuss to have done it.”

Ezra shot up from his seat, his chair tumbling backwards from the sudden force. A deep, foreign anger, one like he had never felt before, stormed within him as he glared at his classmates. He had had a hellish night in that stupid mansion because of that bet they had placed, and even if it had all been a dream, he did not go through all of that just for nothing.

“I said I spent the entire night there,” Ezra said through gritted teeth, balling his fists to prevent them from trembling. They all laughed at Ezra, enjoying his reaction. 

_ They mock you,  _ the voice said, dripping with honey too sweet as if to disguise the poison within.  _ Hurt them _ .  _ Make them pay _ . 

“That’s too bad,” Kevin snorted out, “We just don’t believe a loser like you.”

Ezra suddenly saw red and, without giving it a second thought, he punched Kevin, hitting him square in the jaw. Wide eyes stared as Kevin was sent flying to the other side of the room, tumbling over the desks as he went. He collapsed in a heap, lying unmoving against the wall. Ezra’s jaw went slack as he stared down at this fist, wondering how he had summoned that much strength. He had never hit someone before, but he was very certain that he was not  _ that _ strong.

The voice at the back of his mind laughed at the events that had unfolded before going quiet, almost as if it had withdrawn itself from Ezra’s head, leaving a void. Zare and Jai took a step away from Ezra in fear, regarding him as if he was a havoc wreaking and untamed beast. However, it was the sight of Kevin’s head, hanging limply, with blood droplets pooling on the scalp stirred something within Ezra, and his gums began to ache with incredible discomfort.

He opened his mouth to apologise, to explain that he had not meant to when Mrs. Cooper barged into the room followed by a few of his classmates. She first moved towards Kevin, placing a hand on his shoulder as he regained consciousness and ordered someone to take him to the infirmary. She then stomped then towards Ezra, causing him to stiffen in fear, anticipating what was to come.

“Ezra Jarrus,” Mrs. Cooper said in a cold voice, “Come with me to the principal’s office right this instant.”

No one said anything to Ezra as he followed their teacher out of the classroom, hanging his head in shame. He really had not meant to seriously harm Kevin. It was only meant to be a light punch, bruising him at best, but had never intended to throw him across the room and cause him to bleed. The sight had left an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Ezra’s stomach that he assumed it was due to the shock. His hands trembled, he could still feel where his knuckles had come in contact with Kevin’s face. 

The walk to the principal’s office was a short one and he was told to wait in one of the chairs outside until one of his parents arrived. Ezra sat restlessly, swinging his feet back and forth as he gripped tightly at the edges of his seat. Guilt jabbed at him, chaining him down with a heavy conscience as his mind kept wandering back to the scene of Kevin flying back, his cry echoing in Ezra’s ears. His eyes widened with dread when he saw his mom approaching him with worried eyes, and turned away, unable to face her.

Mrs. Cooper stood up from her seat beside Ezra, and hauled him up with her, keeping her grip firm on his arm.

“Ah, Mrs. Jarrus,” she greeted, her voice barely holding any hint of pleasantry. “Right this way.”

She led them through the principal’s office door and offered for them to take a seat. The principal, Mr. Aresko, was a tall and slender man that reminded Ezra of a weasel with beady black eyes and a long nose. He regarded the boy with disdain before turning his attention to Hera.

“Mrs. Jarrus,” he greeted, holding an air of authority. “I believe you know why you have been called in today?”

“I-”

“Your son has punched a kid unprovoked,” Mr. Aresko interrupted and Ezra glared at the man in disbelief. He was about to open his mouth to object, but the principal continued, giving the boy a quick look of disapproval with narrowed eyes. “Mr. Brunson has received four stitches on his scalp and is now suffering from a concussion. I am afraid that we will have to suspend young Jarrus for the time being, this behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated.”

“But Mr. Aresko, I am sure there has to be a reasonable explanation as to what happened,” Hera frowned, her hand grabbing Ezra’s in comfort. “I know that Ezra would not hurt anyone intentionally.”

“Be it as it may, it does not change the situation. Mr. Jarrus has injured a fellow classmate and must face consequences.”

Hera was about to open her mouth in protest again when Ezra spoke up instead. 

“I understand,” he said in a voice so calm, he surprised himself, considering that all he felt like doing was cry. However, deep down, he knew that he was the one at fault and couldn’t deny it. “I will accept the consequences for my actions.”

“Good,” Mr. Aresko said, nodding his head approvingly. “Then that will be all. Thank you for coming, Mrs. Jarrus. Good day.”

Hera and Ezra left the office in a heavy silence as they trudged towards the school’s front doors. His shoulders were hunched over with a sense of shame, never had his mother been called to school before and with the continuous lying, the shame gnawed away at him. The bet had been nothing but trouble and Ezra wished he had never accepted it. 

“Mom,” Ezra called out, his voice nothing more than a hoarse whisper as he fought the urge to cry. Hera glanced down at him, her eyes softening as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay, dear. I know you wouldn’t have done anything like that without a reason,” she said and Ezra could feel his heart breaking from the guilt; if only she knew. His mother was so kind and loving, and all he had done for these past few days was lie and now this. “Do you want to talk about it back at home?”

Ezra shook his head, he would rather remain silent than have to deceive his family again. Hera nodded in understanding, placing a quick kiss on Ezra’s forehead before they continued on their walk home. He felt grateful that his mom for being as compassionate as she was and did not push for more information. 

The day had been grey since that morning, clouds blanketing over them in a furious embrace with cold, autumn winds. Then, there was a break and slivers of light slipped through the dark clouds, causing Ezra to wince in discomfort. There was a sharp pain where the sun reached his face, his skin burning as if touched by hot metal, causing a headache between his eyes so intense that it disorientated his vision, making him stumble slightly forward as he nearly lost his footing. It was strange to have such a strong reaction to so little sunlight when even the coldest of winds had never caused a headache of such severity. Ezra hastily pulled his hood up, tightening the ropes so that his face was barely peeking through the coat and the effect was almost immediate. He sighed with relief as the pain of the migraine dulled.

“All okay?” Hera asked, one brow raised as she regarded him with an unreadable expression. He guessed that he must look silly with the way his eyes barely peeking out from under the hood.

“Yeah, the wind’s just a bit cold,” he smiled, not that his mom could see it. It was true that it was windy, but just like that morning, he was not feeling particularly cold. 

“I suppose it is,” she replied back, amused. “Winter is coming after all.”

“Mhm,” Ezra hummed in agreement. Soon they had found themselves in the comforting warmth of their home. He plopped onto the sofa with a sigh, feeling suddenly exhausted. It did not help that his jaw was beginning to ache again and his throat was starting to itch as if he was getting sick. Hera watched Ezra from the doorway of the living room with concerned eyes.

“Do you want some pumpkin pie?” She asked, her gentle voice soothing over Ezra’s growing headache. He didn’t even bother sitting up from his spot as he gave his response, merely nodding his head ‘yes’. 

“Okay, I will go get you some.”

There was a soft thud of a plate being placed onto the coffee table alongside with a glass of milk, and Ezra mumbled out a small ‘thank you’. Reluctantly, he forced himself up, his head swimming with the sudden movement. 

“I have to make a quick phone call, but I will be back to check on you soon, okay?” 

The boy only nodded. He did not understand why he had suddenly become so weak, having been fine only moments ago. It could be because of the stress, he reasoned, and that he really was getting sick - after all, it was the season for colds and the flu, and he had fallen in wet mud puddles the previous day. Ezra grabbed the plate of his favourite pie and slowly brought a piece up to his mouth. It took a lot more effort than he would have liked to admit, his lips slightly quivering as they opened. It was the same as last night and this morning where food had suddenly appeared unappetising, the smell alone sending waves of nausea over him.

Finally, his mouth closed around the fork and Ezra chewed. It was the same pie of a few days ago, only now it tasted like something that had gone well over its expiry date and it took all his effort not to gag. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he set the plate down with a loud clatter, nearly dropping it onto the floor as he doubled over in pain, clutching at his stomach. The sounds of the plate and his groans of agony must have caught his mother’s attention as she quickly came running to his side, kneeling beside him to get a better look.

“Ezra, are you okay? What’s wrong??”

Ezra shook his head, too afraid that it wouldn’t be words alone that came tumbling out his mouth. Hera gently pulled his head back and touched his forehead, flinching away with a gasp. 

“You’re cold as ice,” she gasped, hastily grabbing a cloth to wipe away the sheen of sweat off the boy’s forehead. “Come, let’s get you into your bed, get you all warmed up.”

Hera placed Ezra’s arm around her shoulder and heaved him up. The trek up the stairs was a difficult one with the boy quickly losing more of his energy, causing him to stumble over his own feet. When they finally made it to the top, Ezra wrenched himself out of his mother’s grasp and heaved out the contents of his stomach, unable to hold back his nausea any longer. 

“I’m sorry,” he croaked out as his mother continued to rub circles on his back in comfort.

“It’s okay, I will clean it up,” she said as she guided him to his room. “First, let’s tuck you into bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ezra's body is starting to slowly change, his appetite disappearing completely for human food and starting to desire something else...  
> Also, I made it so that even the smallest amount of sunlight will hurt a lot for vampires during transformation, but not exactly turn them to ashes yet.  
> Next chapter is where the fun begins


	5. Sister Dearest

Ezra could hear muffled voices, how voices would sound if he’d heard them from underwater and it took him a moment to recognise them as his parents’. 

“He is so cold though...” Hera said, her voice laced with concern. A hand too large to be his mother’s brushed against his forehead, most likely Kanan’s, offering momentary warmth and comfort before it was all too soon pulled away.

“You’re right,” his father agreed, sounding equally as troubled as Hera, and then brought his hand down again, this time cupping his son’s cheek. “He’s breaking out in cold sweats, too. Do you think it was from falling in mud yesterday?”

“Most likely,” his mother said. “If Ezra is still sick tomorrow, we will go see the doctor. I can take another day off work. He hasn’t eaten since he got home this afternoon and couldn’t even look at the toast I made him for dinner.”

“Hmm,” Kanan hummed thoughtfully as he now lifted his hand up to comb through Ezra’s damp hair, hoping to ease the visible discomfort that the boy was in, his brows furrowed and his lips pulled down. “Perhaps. But let’s let the boy rest, it may be all that he needs.”

There was a rustling of material as his dad’s hand pulled away, the heat instantly dissipating, before Ezra felt something coarse wipe against his face. He determined it to be a towel wiping away the sweat that had collected over his time asleep. How long had he been asleep for? How was he still so very sleepy? Ezra had fallen into frigid mud puddles before, but never had he gotten this sick from one. 

He felt lips touch his forehead before Kanan got up from his bed and his mom also placed a kiss. They switched off the lights and gently closed the door, Ezra’s consciousness soon faded away once again.

Ezra woke with a start, wheezing as he clutched his neck. It almost felt as if someone had forced shards of glass down his throat, causing it to burn with an intensity he had never felt before. He hastily reached over for the glass of water his parents had left on his night table and downed it as if he were a man lost in a sea of sand, stranded without anything to drink for days. The refreshment did little to sate his thirst and it actually felt as if it had made it worse, his throat tightening as the searing pain increased.

With frantic movements, the boy attempted to get up from his bed, only to get tangled within his sheets and fell forward with a thud. He groaned as he propped himself onto his elbows, his head spinning from the impact.  _ Water _ . Ezra needed more water. His door opened and his eyes snapped up to see Sabine standing in the doorway; she must have heard him falling. She closed the door softly and quickly made her way over to Ezra.

“Is everything okay?” She asked, concerned, and offered a hand to help her brother up.

“Yeah, everything’s…” Ezra trailed off when he got a whiff of her scent. His throat constricted with thirst and his mouth salivated, his jaws suddenly aching as if something had pierced through them. She was so close that he could hear his sister’s blood pulsing through her veins, and he could even make out every beat of her heart - had his hearing always been this good? Ezra’s dilated eyes widened in shock at his body’s response, what was wrong with him? 

Sabine crouched down when Ezra did not take her hand, her brown eyes studying his face in concern. "Are you sure? You don't look so good. Maybe I should get mom or dad?"

"No!" Ezra grabbed her wrist and she flinched at the sudden outburst. He let go of her as soon as he realised what he had done, averting his eyes in guilt. "I-I mean no, it's fine.  _ I'm _ fine."

“Is this about what happened at school?” Sabine asked, having most likely heard from mom. “You know you can tell me anything? I  _ am _ your older sister, and well… I’m here for you.”

Ezra bit his lip, his teeth pricking into his delicate skin and drawing blood, causing him to shudder at the flavour and he couldn't decipher why his body reacted in such a manner. He shook his head slightly, pushing away the distraction of his ever growing thirst and concentrated on the situation at hand. The guilt he had forced deep within the pit of his mind threatened to overflow and by this point, he suspected that they knew he was lying. And yet, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from continuing.

“I'm okay, honestly!” he huffed out. The incident at school did weigh deeply on his mind, but that wasn’t why he was feeling the way he was at that moment. Sabine’s brows furrowed in concern. She was so close, he could just lean in and - 

“Did something happen at the sleepover?” She asked, slowly, observing Ezra for any type of reaction.

“No!” Ezra said before clearing his voice, suddenly feeling flustered. What had he been thinking? He had entered some bizarre trance, it was almost as if he was about to…

_ Do it _ , a distorted version of his voice echoed in the back of his skull.  _ Drink her blood _ .

Ezra grasped as the burning sensation within his throat began to grow exponentially at the mention of blood. But he couldn’t possibly want to drink the red substance that flowed beneath his sister’s skin. And yet, he felt compelled to lean and take a bite… just a quick bite - what harm could that do?

“Ezra?” Sabine called out, slightly leaning away in unease. 

_ Drink her blood. _

“I…” He opened his mouth to speak but barely any words could stumble out. There was something horribly wrong here and yet, he could not even warn Sabine about the impending danger or even stop himself. 

_ Just a quick bite... _

It was as if he were under some kind of hypnosis and Ezra could feel his will dwindling with every passing second, it was becoming harder and harder to hold himself back. 

_ Drink her blood! _

The voice now snarled out, it suddenly sounded very different from Ezra’s own, much more demonic. He was vaguely aware that Sabine was talking to him, her lips kept moving and yet, he could not hear her words, his skull becoming more and more filled with static. It felt as if he was being pulled back into the far ends of his mind, until all he could do was watch as his body pounced on his sister.

_ Get off her! _ He yelled at his body. This wasn’t his doing, this was insane - he would  _ never _ treat his sister like this!

Sabine's cry of surprise was muffled by his hand as he held her down to the floor. She struggled against her brother with futile effort as he only tightened his bruising grip on her wrists. She let out a whimper of pain, tears filling her wide eyes. The boy’s eyes were a deep red and gleamed with a hunger that sent shivers down her spine.

“Ezra?” She managed to say, her voice muffled by her brother’s palm. Ezra did not react to his name and released her wrists in favor of pulling her head roughly to the side. “Ezra, this isn’t funny! You’re hurting me!”

_ Drink her blood! Drain her dry!  _ One voice growled, deep and commanding.

_ No! Let her go!! _ Another yelled, hopelessly desperate. 

Sabine could only watch in horror as Ezra opened his salivating mouth, revealing fangs she had never seen before as he leaned in towards her neck. He was so close that he could hear the blood calling to him, its voice much louder than the one in the back of his mind, begging him to stop and to not harm his sister. However, his body didn’t listen as he bit down into the delicate flesh. Sabine screamed into his hand when he closed his mouth, her struggling rekindled by her sheer desperation of survival. Warm blood filled Ezra’s mouth and he moaned, the taste was divine and he greedily gulped the liquid down, the more he drank, the more he yearned for more.

The burning sensation in his throat began to ease slightly, but didn’t fully cease to exist as he continued to drain his sister’s blood. He was vaguely aware that her struggles had faltered, her head lifting weakly up to lean into Ezra, allowing his newly grown fangs to dig deeper into her flesh, her eyes rolling back with almost a sense of euphoria. Deep within his head, Ezra struggled against the restraints that held him back, forcing him to watch as his own body refused to stop. Sabine was  _ dying _ ! However, his body continued to disobey until the last, trembling breath left his sister and her body went limp for all eternity. Silence was all that there was left.

Ezra wrenched himself away with a gasp, finally able to move again and stared down at Sabine with wide, disbelieving eyes. She laid there still, her calm demeanour giving the illusion if she were simply in a peaceful slumber… one she would never wake from. There was a deep hollow feeling, as if someone had carved a hole within his chest. 

“Sabine?” He choked out, gently shaking his sister’s shoulders to wake her up. She didn’t respond which caused Ezra to shake her harder. “Sabine?!”

Nothing. 

A sob slipped through Ezra’s lips and he embraced her, his head resting on her chest where her heart should have been beating. This couldn’t be happening… this had to all be some kind of sick joke! Any moment now, she would wake up. However, no matter how much he begged, she never woke and reality dawned on him. His older sister, the one who had been there for him when things had gotten really tough, making him laugh when nothing else could, was dead. 

“I am  _ so _ sorry, Sabine,” he sobbed out. “I’m so very sorry.”

Tears poured down Ezra's face, grasping desperately at Sabine in hopes that her vital signs would change. They didn’t. Her skin was now a pasty white, having all colour drained along with her blood, her lips touched by an icy blue that reminded Ezra of harsh winter nights, her blank eyes glazed over as they stared unseeingly to the world she was no longer a part of. Guilt gnawed at him.

It had been him who had killed his sister. 

It had been him who had drunk her dry. 

Ezra could still taste it, the beautifully exotic taste of her blood, igniting each of his tastebuds and he felt horrified and sick at the fact that he had savored the flavour, melting on his tongue like the ambrosia of the gods he’d read about. There was nothing he could compare it to, not even his mom’s baked goods, it was otherworldly. 

_ Oh stars! _ His parents, what was he going to tell them?!

His stomach twisted in remorse and Ezra began to hyperventilate. He felt so confused, lost and disgusted at what had happened that he did not even think of what would happen next. He knew what he had to do. There was no way he could tell his parents that he had killed Sabine. What would they think? Stars above! Not even he knew what to think about all of this! Ezra suspected their repulsion at the monster they’d willingly brought into their family would be far worse than that he felt towards himself. 

No, he couldn’t stay here, he was far too dangerous. Ezra could not bear the thought of killing someone else, definitely when his parents were the closest to him in proximity, making them the most likely targets. He had already caused enough damage to the family when he… Ezra could barely finish the thought as his gaze moved up to Sabine’s face. The sight made fresh tears pour down his cheeks and Ezra followed their path, only to be horrified at the sight. Drops of blood dripped onto Sabine’s chest, staining her clothing a deep red. He was crying the very thing that he had drank, blood - he was wasting the thing that had cost Sabine her life on tears!

Tentatively, Ezra closed his sister’s eyes before stroking her now slightly cooler cheek and leaned forward, allowing their foreheads to touch, for a hopefully moment her skin felt the same temperature as his own… no, he was just deathly cold as well. His tears left a web of red across her pale skin as he continued to apologise for her death. Amidst his sorrow, Ezra’s mind unwillingly began to wander towards vampire movies. Although they were an art of fiction, there had to be some truth to them. Maybe the lore was founded on some ancient disease, a disease he had somehow contracted, that lured the infected into drinking blood? However improbable it may have felt, the glaring fact he had grown fangs and had drunken blood, whatever the scientific cause behind it was, had he turned into a sort of vampire?

In his disheveled state, Ezra’s mind wandered to darker thoughts. In fiction, vampires die by being stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake or going out in the sunlight, and they could not stand silver or religious artifacts. His eyes widened with this knowledge, the solemn truth of what Ezra had to do, glaring back at him. The boy reluctantly pulled away, carefully biting his lips to not puncture them as he glanced once more at Sabine with longing before gingerly lifting her up, distressed at how light she felt in his arms as if she weighed nothing more than a feather after the blood loss, and placed her onto his bed. He knew that she didn’t need the comfort of a mattress anymore, but couldn’t bear to leave her on the cold, hard floor either. 

Unable to stare at his sister any longer, Ezra walked towards his door and slowly opened it so that it would not make a sound and wake his parents up. The door closed behind him and he would have been in awe at how well he could see in the dark if it weren’t a chilling reminder of the monster he had become. Silently, Ezra tiptoed down the stairs, his heart feeling heavier and heavier with every step. It pained him to know that his parents were going to lose two of their only children… but after what he had done, did he still deserve to be called so?

A single tear rolled down his cheek at the thought. He didn't want to hurt them - hadn't wanted to hurt Sabine, but he had but he would make sure it never happened again, even if it were the last thing he ever did, which it most likely would 

This was all for the best, he told himself repeatedly as he tread towards the kitchen. Silver light streamed through the window, basking the room in an eerie glow. Ezra shivered despite it not being cold and his breath became shorter and more shallow as he drew closer to his destination. The drawer near the sink slid open with ease at his touch, revealing glistering cutlery under the moonlight.

Hera always kept silverware in this drawer for special occasions such as Christmas dinners, and Ezra’s dull eyes immediately fell on the sharp steak knives. Hesitantly, he reached out for one and gingerly wrapped his fingers around it. The reaction was almost immediate. His skin began to bubble at the touch, breaking apart as if acid had been poured onto his flesh. Ezra recoiled from the silver, shouting a short cry, biting painfully into his lips as he remembered his parents sleeping on the upper floor. 

Tears poured down his face as he clutched his injured hand, the skin already slowly starting mend itself. However, just as swiftly as the pain had appeared, it faded without a trace, leaving just an imprint of its existence in the back of his mind. How would he be able to kill himself if he couldn’t even touch the silver knife long enough to plunge it into his heart? Perhaps there was another, easier way, something he could accomplish before his mom or dad wakes up for the day. 

A knock drew him out from his thoughts and Ezra froze, his ears straining. Instantly Ezra jumped at the thought that his heinous crime had been discovered and that the police had come for him, however, that made no sense.  Only silence penetrated his ears and he heaved a sigh, thinking it was only his imagination when another knock reverberated throughout the darkness. Now, he knew that someone really was really out there. With this realisation, a tugging sensation spread from the back of his mind and his legs began to move on their own.

Horrified, Ezra could only watch as he shuffled over to the sliding doors in the dining room. The last time he had such an out of body experience, he had murdered his sister! Her body wasn’t even cold upstairs yet!

Outside was a hooded figure garbed in black, waiting patiently in the frigid, November air. His blood went cold at the sight and he screamed for his body to stop, but once again, it refused to obey. Ezra did not know who this person was, but every nerve in his body screamed ‘danger’; under no circumstances was this man to enter this house.

His breath hitched as everything went quiet interrupted solely by the clicking sound of the door unlocking. The door slid open and Ezra’s body extended his arm out towards the stranger, who accepted the invite, taking a step inside. The man turned to face the boy and lifted his pale face from under the hood, his yellow eyes gleaming and Ezra’s throat constricted, wanting nothing more than to scream.

"Thank you for the invite, my spawn," purred the very same man he thought he’d imagined back at the abandoned mansion, smirking, very much real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry. I felt so sad writing this chapter, but it had to be done...  
> Thank you so much for reading :)


	6. Lost

This couldn’t be happening, and yet, it was. The man, whose red-rimmed yellow eyes shone with madness, was here in his home. There was no more denying that he had been real and not just a figment of his Ezra’s imagination, the one who had transformed him into this foul abomination and his voice… it was the same one as earlier, the one that had given the boy orders that lead to the death of Sabine. 

Ezra took a slow step back, not taking his eyes off the creature who remained by the doorway, watching him with twisted amusement. His back bumped into the archway and he felt trapped, pinned down by fear. The boy knew very well what this man - if you could even consider him as such - was capable of and now he had access to Ezra’s home, where his parents slept upstairs, blissfully unaware of what was happening.

Then, as if the universe was laughing at his misery, the kitchen and dining room light flickered on. Ezra snapped his head to see his dad holding a baseball bat and his mom standing behind with a distraught look on her face, and for a moment Ezra wondered. Had they found Sabine yet? 

“Ezra,” Hera gasped in surprise. “We heard you cry out in pain.”

Their attention then turned to the man who had still yet not moved from his spot and automatically put the two together. The boy wanted to open his mouth, to tell his parents to run, but his body did not obey. 

“Ezra,” Kanan’s voice was serious as he regarded the intruder with weary eyes, tightening his grip on the bat. “Go find Sabine and stay in her room until we come for you. I don’t want this man hurting you again.”

The creature burst into laughter, making them flinch in surprise. “Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about Sabine anymore.”

Hera gasped, tears forming as she covered her mouth in shock before turning to run up stairs, causing Ezra’s eyes to widen and his breath to hitch. He felt like vomiting, having to watch the very scene he had wished to have avoided play out. His father’s heart was racing so fast that the sound pounded in his ears like a loud drum playing a steady, quick pace. Everything was quiet and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, weighing heavily on them. It wasn’t long before a heart wrenching wail echoed through the house.

Hera had found Sabine.

Resisting the urge to go after his wife, knowing he had to protect his son, Kanan narrowed his watery eyes, taking a menacing step forward, overcome by grief and rage, having a very good idea of what had happened to his daughter. 

“You will pay for what you did!” His dad hissed out, his voice trembling as tears began to pour out, listening to the distant sobbing of his wife from upstairs. Ezra wanted to scream, to plead for forgiveness, to ask for mercy, but knew that was impossible. He had wanted nothing more than to run, but that was also impossible, unable to leave his parents’ fates to this fiend.

“ _ I  _ didn’t do anything,” the abomination purred out, never taking his bright eyes off Ezra. “Someone else did.”

Hera came down again, nearly tumbling from the steps, her face covered in tears and snot, her lips trembling, sputtering nonsensical words, unable to catch her breath. She buried her face into Kanan’s chest, clutching his shirt with shaking hands and he held her tightly as he raised his bat up threateningly towards the intruder.

“She’s dead! Our Sabine’s dead!” Were the words that Ezra could make out from his frantic mother and his insides turned. Guilt clawed at him, twisting and tearing at him as he watched his mom come so undone from something that he had done. “S-so much b-blood! I called….”

“Liar!!” Kanan yelled at the demon of a man and Ezra flinched, backening even more into the corner he had trapped himself into as if his father’s anger and hate and grief were directed towards him. This was becoming all too much, a nightmare where he spiralled forevermore down the endless pit of despair. Only this wasn’t a nightmare. It was reality. 

The man merely chuckled at the accusation, acting as if it was nothing more than child’s play. He then turned his full attention to the frightened boy who desperately fought back his tears.

“Tell them what happened,  _ Ezra _ ,” the creature said with amusement, and there was an underlying tone of command and the boy felt as if it had put him under a spell. It was the same feeling when his body had acted on its own, biting into Sabine’s flesh and draining her dry. It was then that he realised that he must have been placed under a sort of hypnosis by this thing and Ezra opened his mouth to accuse the fiend.

“I killed Sabine,” he said instead in an eerie monotone voice. He recoiled at the words that came out of his mouth, they weren’t the ones he had wanted to say! 

Despite having been trained as a police officer, nothing had prepared Kanan to hear those (heart wrenching) words coming from his son’s mouth and his grip loosened on the bat as he lowered his arms in shock, his weapon hitting the floor with a dull thud as his jaws went slack. Hera let out a choked sob, images of Sabine lying so still on Ezra’s bed, blood etched over her torso, neck and face -  _ Ezra’s bed _ , the small detail did not seem this dreadful, having concluded that the murderer had killed Sabine, finding out about this intruder before their parents did and attempted to protect her brother from this abomination of a man. However, there was no way that their sweet little son could possibly do such a heinous act.

“Tell me that it isn’t true,” Hera demanded, her voice trembling. For Ezra to say such a thing without so much as flinching unnerved her, as if this horrific situation was nothing more than some practical joke. 

“I-I-” Ezra began to choke on the words, unable to spit them out as he, too, began to cry. His parents gasped in horror, seeing blood pour down the boy’s face. Realising this, Ezra immediately covered his face and cried even harder, feeling the rise of remorse, confusion, and self-loathing. He could feel their burning eyes on him still, and he knew that he must have looked as much as an abomination at that man who had started all of this. 

They had finally found out the truth, that their son - he doubted he could even call himself that - was a monster, that he was the one who had murdered his own sister. 

“What have you done to my son?!” Kanan demanded, seething with anger and shock. Ezra looked up at his dad in surprise, not having expected such a reaction from him. He would have thought that Kanan would repudiate him for what he had done, for what he had become. 

The intruder merely chuckled in response before pulling his lips back into a cruel grin, his sharp teeth glinting under the sharp light. Then he extended his arm out with his fingers slightly curled and Kanan started making a gurgling sound as he was lifted up by an invisible force, ripping him from Hera’s embrace. Ezra and his mom could only watch in horror as Kanan scratched away at his throat with no avail and was then pulled into the fiend’s open palm, his fingers curling tightly around his neck.

“Kanan!!”

“Dad!” Ezra screamed, running to stop the monster from hurting his father. However, an invisible force pushed Ezra back, crashing into the table with a yelp. 

“Ezra!” Hera was by him in an instant, helping him sit up before her gaze of sheer terror averted to Kanan and the monster choking him. She picked up the bat that had been dropped earlier with trembling hands, and tried her best to put up a brave face, knowing she did not look intimidating considering how broken she must have looked. Despite the horrible words that her son had said, though she really did not believe them -  _ refused _ to believe them- he was still her son and would protect him as such. “Ezra, stay behind me.” 

“Spawn,” the man said, his voice and face were passive, though the cold glint of mockery in his eyes remained as he regarded the pitiful threat. “It’s time for us to finally feast.”

A deep anger surged through Ezra as he leaped up to his feet, almost knocking his mom over, and lunged himself at the creature with a battle cry. There was no way he was going to let this fiend hurt his family any longer! “You will  _ not _ harm my parents!” 

His efforts were futile, of course. The creature was far stronger than Ezra, who momentarily let go of Kanan to grab the boy instead. 

“Ezra,” Kanan gasped out, clutching his neck as he attempted to regain his breath, feeling like a failure that he was unable to protect his children. He could only watch helplessly from where he had collapsed on the ground as the fiend tightened his grip on his son’s neck, leaning in.

“ _ I _ am the master,” he snarled out, spit flying onto Ezra’s face, who could only whimper out in fear, recoiling from the vile breath of death. “ _ You _ are my spawn, and you  _ will _ obey me without question and without fail.”

The vampire was forced to let go of his creation when a bat came flying towards his head. He growled as he grabbed the wooden club and snapped it, sending splinters shattering to the ground. Hera regarded the monster with eyes burning with determination, the eyes of a mother willing to do anything in her power to protect her child. She cried out in pain when he backhanded her, sending her toppling to the ground. Blood began to surface from where she had been scratched on her cheek, causing Ezra’s eyes to dilate and his throat to burn with thirst. 

_ No! _ The boy scolded himself, squeezing his eyes shut as if it would help fight against the scent of blood. He couldn’t -  _ wouldn’t  _ \- repeat what happened earlier, not to his mom or dad!

“You still protect the boy, even knowing he had slaughtered your daughter without any hesitation?”

“My son would  _ never _ hurt his sister, not on his own free will,” she spat out, glaring at the fiend. Ezra felt warmth blossom in his chest as tears pricked his eyes, soon followed by the cold sensation of guilt. Even now his parents would protect him despite knowing the hard truth of what he had become and whose blood he carried on his hands, and whose blood he now craved.

“Ezra,” the monster said with a sense of calmness that sent shivers up the boy’s spine. “I grow tired of this,” his yellow eyes turned away from Hera to burn into the scared, blood streaked eyes of Ezra. “I think it is time for you to silence your mother, don’t you think?”

The boy’s eyes widened at the command and his stomach churned when he had found himself moving towards his mom. He screamed at himself to stop moving, to stay away from his mother, but his body did not respond as if it had a mind of its own, leaving him nothing more than a mere passenger. Hera watched her son approach with petrified eyes, unable to understand what was happening.

“Ezra?” She choked out, hoping to reach Ezra with her voice but the boy’s steps did not falter. It was only in that moment that she realised his eyes weren’t the deep blue that she had come to adore and love over the years, but scarlet, misty from his tears. 

“M-mom,”  _ I'm so sorry. _ Ezra could barely squeeze the words through his lips, his tongue unwilling to move, feeling as heavy as the guilt and horror that weighed down on him.

He then unwillingly tackled his mother, yanking her hair back to expose her neck. From this close, the scent of blood was even thicker than before and his throat felt as if it was on fire. It disgusted Ezra that even having already drank from Sabine, he felt as if he had been starving for days and now he was forced to kill Hera. The feelings of self-loathing dulled down when his fangs sank into the delicate skin, chased away by the warm liquid filling his mouth, causing a pleasant warmth to wash over him.

“ _ NO! _ ” Kanan screamed, struggling as the vampire grabbed him. Claws seized his hair, forcing him to watch the events unfolding.

“Watch as your beloved son murder your precious wife just as he had murdered his sister,” the vampire said with a smooth voice into the man’s ears and chuckled. “But fret not, you will soon share the same fate.”

Thick tears streamed down Ezra’s face as he continued to drink Hera’s blood, uncertain whether he was still being compelled or not. It just tasted so  _ good _ and the burning sensation in his throat began to fade, eased by the liquid flowing down his oesophagus. Deep down inside, he knew this was all so very wrong, and yet, he found it hard to stop, wanting more and more blood to abate the agony.

Hera’s initial struggles became sluggish, her head barely able to hold itself up and her complexion became paler. She wrapped her arms around her son’s back, one hand gripping tightly at his shirt while the other weakly drew circles in a soothing motion, much like how she always did when she would comfort him. Ezra let out a muffled sob at the sensation of his mother’s love, still unable to pull away from the never ceasing hunger for blood. He could feel the tears from his mother against his forehead as he shifted closer and he screwed his eyes shut in shame.

Then, much sooner than Ezra could have wished for, Hera’s hands fell and she gasped a few times in her desperate attempt for air before falling silent. The spell was broken and Ezra removed his fangs, but did not pull away as he sobbed into his mother’s bloodied neck. Once again, he had murdered another loved one. Once again, he had failed.

There was a short cry of pain, forcing him to look up to see that the creature had sunk his teeth into Kanan. His eyes widened in horror at the prospect that he was going to lose his father, too. Gently setting his mother’s body down, Ezra leaped to his feet and lunged at the creature, determined to save the least one of his family members. 

Invisible hands suddenly grabbed at Ezra, holding him down in place. He struggled against them, but their grip tightened painfully, causing him to wince and he immediately knew who was causing this. Tear filled eyes dared to look up to see the demon stare back with vicious, yellow eyes, burning even more intensely as if daring Ezra to defy. 

“Dad!” The boy cried out, helplessly. He struggled even harder against the restraints as he watched his father’s skin take on a grey glow, his eyes sunken from the toll of sudden blood loss, fighting to stay open. Kanan trembled in the vampire’s grasp, resisting the urge to arch his back into the man, to get closer as the side effects of his blood being sucked started to make themselves known. His lips, torn from having bitten into them, cracked open but no sound came out, but Ezra knew what he was saying nonetheless. 

_ My son. _

And with that, the last inkling of life was drained away from him. The creature dropped the body without much care, letting Kanan fall to the ground in a heap, and grinned as he wiped his mouth clean. Ezra’s body quivered with rage, feeling something dark and sinister stir deep within him. As soon as the invisible hold on him was released, the boy lunged at the fiend with a wail. He already knew he was no match against this abomination, but he was much too angry to care; he had lost everything because of that monster!

The fiend snarled as he lifted a leg and kicked Ezra across the room, and he landed with a pained cry against the cabinets, the wood caving in upon impact. 

_ Get up! _ The boy inwardly yelled at himself, half aware at the fact that the monster was making his way towards him, the room spinning too much for him to make sense of his surroundings. 

A thought then occurred to him and Ezra scrambled towards the still open drawer from earlier. Without hesitation, he grabbed the silver knife with the hem of his pajama’s sleeve, remembering the vicious sensation from his previous attempt, and ran towards the monster, raising the knife in conviction. The man, unimpressed at Ezra’s continuous resistance, grabbed hold of the boy’s arm before he could bring his blade down into the creature’s chest. The bruising grip tightened, forcing Ezra to drop his weapon, sending it clattering on the floor. He let out a howl of pain as the vampire continued to close his hand, and the bones began to cave in from the pressure before finally snapping with a loud  _ crunch! _ His knees buckled underneath him, only able to remain standing due to the creature’s hold on him. 

“Your defiance has long strained my patience,” he said coldly. “Accept that you belong to me and the process will be less painful than it has to be.”

Was this guy being serious? Ezra wondered to himself in disbelief, glaring daggers at the creature. The pain of breaking bones was nothing in comparison to being forced to kill and watch his family die.

“Never!” He spat out. 

“You have nothing left here,” the creature tried to reason, his tone softening to false sympathy. “I am all that you have left.”

“That’s because you made sure of that!”

The man let out a vicious snarl and did not let go of Ezra’s arm, that was slowly starting to mend itself, as he began to drag the boy towards the glass door in the dining room. The boy struggled, helplessly clawing at the hand that held him, but the monster acted unaffected by the act. Ezra then twisted his body to face his parents who lay motionless on the cold floor, their cheeks still stained with dried tears at the horrors they had faced not too long ago. He desperately reached out with his free hand, trying to grab his father as he passed by.

“Dad!” He cried out, “Mom!”

The fiend growled and tugged Ezra away, marching through the door before throwing the boy down onto the wet ground, the light drizzle of rain tickling his cheeks as he laid there dazed for a moment. He found himself unable to move as Ezra attempted to get up and could only watch as the horrid monster extended his arms out in concentration and the ground began to lightly shake before the house burst into explosive flame, the windows shattering from the force. 

The creature roughly hauled Ezra up to his feet before painfully grabbing hold of his jaw. 

“If you scream, I  _ will _ kill anyone who comes,” he promised, “Or better yet, I will make _you_ kill them.”

Ezra whimpered at the vow, knowing fully well that this murderer would remain true to his words. The grip on his jaw tightened, earning a yelp of pain from the boy.

“Do you understand?”

The boy eagerly nodded, not trusting his voice and wanting nothing more than for the pain to stop before he gets a broken jaw. The man changed his grip in favor of grabbing Ezra by the arm again as he dragged him through the backyard fence and through the shadows towards the Forgotten Forest. 

Just as they neared the edge, Ezra could hear the distant shrills of sirens heading towards his home. All a little too late. 

“You’re a monster!” Ezra cried out, struggling in the unrelenting tight hold.

“You are exactly right,” the man snarled. “I  _ am _ a monster, a vampire to be exact, just as you are one now as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am sorry -cringe-  
> it had to be done...


	7. Denial

The journey to the house was a blare, a swirl of mist and grasping tree branches which clawed at his numb body, dragging him deeper into the nightmare he couldn’t wake up from. This could not be happening… 

His family was…

He couldn’t even think of the word, it just wasn’t possible. He had been dragged from his home by a murderer claiming they were vampires… It was all too insane, but he had… Hera and Sabine… He must be sick, like this crazy man that dragged him through this unyielding darkness, that was the only explanation… but his family was still…

Ezra’s thoughts were brought to a halt when the crooked house appeared in the distance, its coldness biting at his very soul. The man’s bruising grip never wavered as they got closer. Ezra even tried to minimise the pain by keeping to the same pace as his captor, but miserably failed at that, his shoes occasionally becoming ensnared in the deep mud. 

The man aggressively kicked open the gate, the metal bars rattling from the force as it collided with the fence. Ezra bit back a cry when he stumbled over the steps of the porch, barely able to keep up as he was pulled forward. Once the front door slammed shut, the so-called vampire threw the boy onto the ground and loomed over him like the shadow of the predator he was. Finally free, Ezra didn’t move, anticipating that something was about to happen, half-expecting the creature to hit him or even break another bone with the way that the man’s eyes flared, burning a hole into his skull… yet, nothing happened. 

Instead, the murderer drew in a breath, tucking his hands neatly behind his back before speaking in a calm voice. “Tomorrow we will begin the repairs on the house, and restore it to its original glory. We will also then commence your training.”

Ezra’s mouth stood agape with disbelief, barely able to grasp the words he was hearing. Was this fiend really acting like nothing had happened not even an hour ago? As if Ezra was going to willingly stay and train under - and for what exactly? What could there possibly be to train for?? This monster must have been more insane than Ezra originally thought, the man needed a mental hospital, not teaching Ezra whatever there was about ‘vampires’.

“I will never do anything for you, you monster!” He snarled out, baring his teeth, feeling his newly sprouted fangs pierce his own lips. 

The ‘vampire’ regarded him in silence for what felt like an eternity, but in reality were only mere seconds, his face passive. Then everything happened in a blink of an eye, much too fast for Ezra to even react. The man kicked him hard, his sternum cracking and caving in from the impact, causing blood to splatter out from his mouth as he flew down the hallway and crashed into the door of what appeared to be a storage room. The wood shattered from the force, Ezra lay in its remains, too shocked to move and was unable to see through the black dots that obscured his vision. 

How was the man able to move so fast? Be so strong? His head throbbed too much to come up with any logical explanation, writing it off as another hallucination of his sickness. There was no way he could be a real vampire - it couldn’t be possible, it defied the fabric of reality and it was something that Ezra would never want to be. 

He gasped in pain when felt fingers claw at his hair, yanking his head back so that he was forced to stare into the furious eyes of his captor. 

“You will either address me as Master Maul or simply as Master,” he hissed out, and the boy winced when the grip on his hair tightened as he tried to pull away. “And not as anything else. You  _ will _ respect me.”

“Never, respect is  _ earned _ _!_ ” Ezra gritted out, knowing that he would regret the words as soon as he said them. Maul’s face contorted with rage, his yellow eyes taking on a deadly gleam, and he backhanded the boy. Ezra bit back a cry as pain burned across his cheek, blinking away the tears that stung his eyes. However, he refused to allow the monster the satisfaction of seeing his misery. 

“You will respect me, boy!” Maul repeated, but the changeling remained silent as he glared back. “And I will  _ not _ repeat myself again.”

The impact came again, spreading heat across Ezra’s face as his head was snapped to the side and this time, the iron taste of blood filled his mouth. His eyes snapped open in confusion when his throat began to burn, his bloodied lips open in disbelief. How could he still be hungry after drinking so much blood? After having drained his sister and mother dry? Oh, how the thought disgusted him, making his stomach churn. 

Maul chuckled as he observed Ezra’s reaction and the boy looked up to see him smirking, his yellow eyes burning with amusement. The unstable man, Ezra observed wearily, seem to share the same spectrum of emotions as pregnant women in a short amount of time. 

“The thirst of a newborn can be quite… insatiable,” he said with a knowing glint in his horrible eyes. “But I can help you.”

“I don’t want your help!” Ezra growled, attempting to pull away from the vampire’s grasp.

“Oh, but you do,” Maul laughed, “Only the master’s blood can alleviate a newborn’s first thirst.” 

The boy couldn’t even respond, too stunned and horrified at this new information. Did that mean that he had drunk his family’s blood for nothing?! That it was simply some kind of twisted joke for Maul’s own amusement? Ezra trembled with hate and disgust, both for himself and the creature that destroyed his life, his red eyes seething as he glared at the man before him.  _ How dare he - this abomination! - do this to him?! _ Ezra thought furiously. He spat right in the centre of the vampire’s face, whose expression of delight fell to one more grim.

“Stubborn boy,” he sneered, tightening his grip. His facial expression then slightly eased up as he searched Ezra's face. “Or perhaps you’re still in denial. Face it,  _ Ezra _ , you’re a vampire -  _ my creation _ \- and deep down you already know it to be true.”

Ezra remained silent as he continued to glare, refusing to answer to this lunatic. Maul growled in frustration.

“Have you not even questioned why you no longer have a reflection? Why does the sun and silver burn to the touch? Why does your body heal so quickly? why do you crave blood? why does your heart no longer beat?”

Ezra’s eyes widened, no heartbeat? That would be impossible - he’d be dead! He suddenly had the urge to touch his own chest, to prove this crazy murderer wrong, but he couldn’t even move, too afraid for the small  _ what if _ . As for the other points, he had no better answer than to cling onto the delusion of it having to do with some disease, an illness that he must have contracted from stars knows where. 

“It’s all an illusion created by some kind of sickness that drives people to be as insane as you!” Ezra spat out, still resisting to question the logic behind his own reasoning. Could he already have been driven to lunacy like this man before him? Could that explain why he had done what he had?

Maul let out a vicious growl at the insult, hauling the boy up to his feet with rough hands, and dragged him out of the storage room. They went down the dark hall that Ezra had not explored previously and there he was dragged to a hidden entrance way that led down to the basement. 

The stairs were made of stone as were the walls that held flickering candles, casting an eerie glow over the room. Ezra shivered despite unable to feel the cold, there was just something ominous about the room. It was as if the very air was made from lead, weighing down on his shoulders, and he realised that it reminded him a lot like the aura of his master - a menacing shadow, something that should have remained trapped to the darkness. 

His eyes then gazed over an object in the centre of the room, laying on faded Persian rugs, and upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a black coffin adorned with elegant carvings and etchings of gold. Nearby against the wall, was another coffin, this one being brown and much more plain, lacking any decorations carved into the wood. Panic started to rise when Maul dragged Ezra towards the latter coffin; he had an inkling of what was to come, and it was almost humorous, in a dark twisted way, that the movies had been right about vampires and coffins. 

Stopping before the coffin, Maul kicked open the lid and the boy would have jumped back if it weren’t for the older man holding him in place. Inside were the dusty remains of someone long dead, their skin already having peeled off and their flesh gone with decay, leaving only the hollow shell of a person that had once been alive. 

Ezra let out a gasp of surprise when he suddenly found himself pushed forward, propelled right into the open casket and onto the skeleton that crushed under his weight. He pushed himself up and turned in horror to see Maul grinning at him, flashing his sharp teeth.

“I meant to empty it when I dug it up for you, but I didn’t have the time,” he laughed and before the boy could scramble out of the coffin, Maul closed the lid, cloaking Ezra in darkness. There was a rasping sound of metal against wood followed by a clicking sound of a lock.

He banged his fists against the lid with a cry, but it wouldn’t budge. It was awfully cramped inside the musty coffin and he could feel the bones of the previous owner jabbing into his back, which did not help to calm the ever growing hysteria. Dust began to cloud the air, stirred by Ezra’s erratic movements as he continued to bash against the wood. He coughed as he inhaled the particles, his body shuddering violently as his lungs attempted to remove the dust and his eyes began to water from the exertion. 

Reluctantly, the boy stilled his movements in hopes of dirt settling down and when he deemed the air clear enough, he slowly lifted his hands up to the lid. As gently as he possibly could in his state of mind, he scratched his fingernails against the wood. It was an awkward motion, considering how little space he had to extend his arms, but he was desperate enough to try and make it work. As time went by and with little progress to show for it, Ezra began to grow frustrated, pressing harder against the lid, ignoring the splinters that stabbed themselves into his flesh.

Ezra did not know how much time had passed, the only damage he’d inflicted, except to himself, were in thin, barely visible lines he’d carved into the lid’s underside. His skin had repeatedly stripped off his flesh, causing it to bleed before it would mend itself, allowing him to repeat the process as many times as he desired, his fingernails were all but ruined, breaking away like they were nothing more than brittle bones. The smell of blood began to fill the stale air, protruding Ezra’s sense with a ferocity that made his throat aflame.

It nearly felt as if he was being suffocated with the way his throat constricted with thirst and his vision blurred from its intensity. He hated this. He hated what he had become and what his body required to sustain itself, and he hated himself for causing harm to his family... for having murdered his family in cold blood… the same blood that now ran through his own veins. His sweet, loving family who hadn’t deserved the fate such as the one that had been forced upon them and Ezra sobbed at their memory, unable to hold back any longer. Sabine who was planning to apply to a prestigious university in hopes of following her dreams as an artist; Hera who had always been there for him with patience and understanding, full to the brim with joy at finally having the bakery she had always wanted; Kanan who had wanted nothing more than the best life for his family, teaching Ezra important life lessons as well as playing sports with him, things that his birth father never had a chance to teach. 

Blood stained his cheeks as tears poured down from his eyes, the reality of the situation pushed him with a force that caused his body to shudder with every heaving sob. He wanted nothing more than to get out of here and to run as far away as possible from the monster that had caused all of this to unfold. But where where would he even go? Ezra had no family left, no home and no friends. He had nothing, nothing at all. Helplessness clawed at him, dragging him down into the endless pit of despair and his eyes could no longer fight the darkness creeping up, encasing his world in deep shadows.

Ezra woke with a start, banging his forehead against wood and he groaned as he looked up in confusion. Memories of the horrid night flooded back into his mind and he realised that he must have fallen asleep. A sob escaped his chapped lips, but no tears fell. He refused to shed any more tears, to waste any more of his precious family’s blood, and for the time being, he had to focus if he had hoped to calm this ravenous hunger that clawed at his throat like a savage beast. It didn’t work, he hadn’t expected it to, but he clung to the delusion that if he tried hard enough that it would eventually dim over time.

He had a clearer head than the previous night, although he was still struggling with the internal turmoil, the toll of reality settling in. Ezra bit his lips, wincing when the fangs he had yet not gotten used to pierced his lips causing a spike in his hunger, as he hesitantly brought his hand underneath his shirt up towards his chest. A huge part of him didn’t want to see whether or not the murderer was right, but he had been putting it off long enough that the temptation grew too strong to resist. He held his breath and he placed his hand down on where his heart should be.

Nothing.

Not even a slight tremor. 

Ezra let out a breath of air, quickly removing his hand from his shirt as he put it up against his jugular vein, on the side of his neck. It had to be a fluke, perhaps his heartbeat was too weak to feel. 

No pulse.

He swallowed thickly, the lump refusing to leave his throat as he awkwardly moved to feel his wrist. Again, nothing, could this also be a delusion of his disease? Or maybe there was an inkling of truth in the creature’s words? 

Suddenly, there was the clicking sound of something unlocking, soon followed by the grating of metal as it was being pulled away. Ezra held his breath in anticipation, this could be his chance to escape. The lid groaned as it was lifted up to reveal the amused face of his captor, the cruel smirk tugging at his lips as he observed the state the boy was in. The sudden brightness of the glowing candles bit at his eyes and he had to blink a few times to adjust, and once that was done, Ezra scrambled out from the coffin, wanting nothing more than to be as far away from his captor as possible, but quickly found himself collapsing onto the floor, much too weak to even stand.

“Wha-?!” His voice was like sandpaper, scratching at his throat and his words could barely formulate themselves within his dry mouth. Ezra grabbed at his throat, almost writhing at the unbearable scorching sensation. Maul chuckled and Ezra turned his tired eyes towards him to glare daggers, wanting to do nothing more than to move away as the vampire crouched beside him. 

“Had a comfortable rest?” He asked, his voice holding false pleasantries. Ezra knew that he was mocking him and deepened his glare. “I can only assume that you must be in a perpetual state of discomfort. Drink my blood and you will be free, ready to begin your life as the vampire you were meant to be.”

The boy stubbornly shook his head, screwing his eyes shut as if that could banish the thoughts that dwelled deep in his mind. Images of the red liquid scattered throughout his brain and he nearly doubled over in agony of his thirst, in desire for blood. His mouth instantly began to salivate, like a dog’s when presented with a treat, when a delicious scent wafted through his nostrils. His hungry eyes shot up to see Maul’s wrist presented before him, the trickle of red flowing down the pale skin. 

Ezra felt repulsed by the sight and yet leaned in closer, unable to resist like that of the siren, knowing fully the demise it would bring and yet unable to fight against it as it drowned him. His broken lips cracked open as his tongue reached out for the liquid. Just before he could taste it, the spell broke and he forced himself away with a lot of effort. He couldn’t give in, he didn’t want the so-called help from this monster! His body trembled from the effort to resist something that smelled so delicious, and his throat felt as if it was on fire, constricting it with its tendrils of heat. Maul snarled and roughly grabbed Ezra’s hair.

“Quit being so stubborn, boy!” He spat out. 

“No! I don’t  _ want _ to be a monster like you! I hate you!” Ezra gritted out, glaring with renewed hatred. “You took everything from me, I’d rather die than become like you!”

“You ungrateful brat!” Maul growled, painfully tightening his hold. “Do you have any idea how fortunate you are? Most mortals cannot withstand the powerful blood of a vampire, but you,” he hissed to emphasise his point. “ _ You _ were strong enough to survive, becoming something much more than those miserable human beings wasting away in their own weak bodies. I’ve given you a body that will never age, a life that will never end.”

The boy shook his head, refusing to listen to the poison spewing from the monster’s mouth. “Liar! You already took my life away from me! I never wanted any of this, to be cursed to become a demon like you!”

“We are blessed,  _ not _ cursed,” Maul snarled out as he pulled Ezra’s head back, staring viciously at him. Seeing the fear in the boy’s eyes, he smiled and he slightly eased his grip on Ezra’s hair when he regained some of his composure. When he spoke again, his tone was much softer. “We get to be immortal. We have risen above the weaknesses of mortals, we are the next step in evolution’s grand plan. Weren’t you a demon before I changed you, who fed on the flesh of other animals simply because they were lesser to you? Humans are the same - livestock, bred to sustain us, nothing more, nothing less. I implore you to use this gift that I bestowed upon you, do  _ not _ make me regret it.”

Before Ezra could make any form of remark, the vampire forcibly placed his arm against the boy’s mouth. Blood dripped between his parted lips, falling onto his tongue with an explosiveness he had never felt before. His eyes fluttered close as he involuntarily leaned in, his mind begging him to resist as he clutched Maul’s arm. His mental struggle was feeble, like a leaf struggling against a hurricane, Ezra wished he were stronger but he knew he was not as he greedily gulped down the rich liquid. He wished the fluid would burn him, make him feel sick and wretch for what the vampire fed him was nothing but poison and yet it did not, its warmth spread throughout his body, drowning him in with a novel, almost addictive sense of euphoria. 

“My, my, hungry aren’t you?” Maul mocked as he watched his spawn fervently drink his blood, but Ezra could barely hear him, too caught up in the sensations, every fibre of his body was burning, begging for more. Ezra let out a whine of discontent when the arm was pulled out of his grasp, attempting to trail after it when a chuckle broke the spell.

“I think we can both agree that you’ve had your fill, no?”

Hot shame washed over Ezra, and he averted his now yellow eyes away. Maul was right, and it disgusted him at how easily he had given into the taste of blood, still longing for more despite the fullness he felt and at the knowledge of what had just sated his thirst. 

Even as Ezra scolded himself, he could sense changes within himself, like the last remnants of a sleep he didn’t know he was in had finally faded. His muscles regained all of their previous strength and he could now perceive his surroundings with refound clarity; his senses all heightened now that he had his real, ‘first drink’ as maul had called it. The thought was a bitter one, a reminder of the pointless deaths his family members had had to suffer from. 

“Now, if you are quite finished sulking, we can begin your vampire training, now that your transformation is complete.” Maul stated as he watched the wound across his arm already begin to heal, sensing Ezra’s hatred and sorrow but choosing to ignore it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added some humor to lighten the situation.   
> Thank you for reading :)


	8. Chapter 8

“Why?”

“Why what?” Maul’s voice had an edge of impatience as he glared at the changeling standing before him.

“Why me?” Ezra elaborated on his question more, gazing at the ground he was still sitting on. He felt disgusted at the fact at how much better he felt after drinking that murderer’s blood, and hatred boiled beneath his skin at the fact that this had all been forced upon him. He rather wished that he had died rather than become the walking dead - literally. Then his family wouldn’t have had to suffer, suffering that he had caused.

“Because, my spawn, it was you who broke that curse placed upon me long ago,” he said. “That doesn’t happen on a mere whim. I sense great power within you and I can help you unlock your full potential.”

“But I don’t want power or any of this,” the boy replied, his lips trembling as he blinked back his tears. “I just want my family…”

“Your family is dead,” Maul growled out, his patience thinning. “They’re  _ never _ coming back again. You are all that there is left and you belong here with me.”

A tear escaped his eyes, staining his cheek red from the vile blood that came from the equally vile man, and he gave a small sniffle as he weakly wiped it away. Ezra couldn’t help it, he wanted nothing more than to be in the warm embrace of his family, to wake up and find that this had been nothing more than a horrible nightmare. He let out a gasp when he was hauled up his feet before being shaken roughly, his head snapping back and forth with such intensity that it made him see stars.

“Your first lesson will be not to cry,” the vampire snarled when he stopped shaking the boy. “Crying is a weakness, and there is no mercy for the weak.”

Despite being told not to, more tears began to pour down Ezra’s cheeks and he let out a sob before he could even stop himself. The glint in Maul’s eyes sent shivers down the teen’s spine, making him want to cower away from the silent promise of harm. He just wanted his family.

“Do you understand?” Maul hissed from between his teeth, his eyes narrowing into thin slits. Ezra, frightened, nodded his head in hopes of being released from the demon’s hold. The vampire only tightened his grip and slightly raised his other hand, just enough to make his threat loud and clear. “Say it out loud.”

Ezra shrank, and cracked open his dry lips, his voice barely there, “Yes.”

“Yes  _ what _ _?_ ”

The changeling’s lips thinned with disdain and defiance. He knew what the man wanted to hear and the thought made his stomach churn, threatening to heave his recent meal - which Ezra supposed he didn’t mind since it was full with the blood that came from that vile beast. 

“Didn’t I already mention that your opposition is starting to get on my nerves?”

_ And so what if it did? _ Ezra inwardly challenged, trying very hard to put on a brave face as he glared back. In truth, he was very much afraid of the cruel and unpredictable demon before him. Despite being able to heal relatively fast, pain was still that - pain. It hurt to be hit, to have his bones broken and then feeling them mend back together, and although he did long for death, he couldn't deny that he felt frightened at the notion of death.  _ I _

_ t’s just a word, just one word _ , he told himself, but it all seemed so wrong and disgusting. 

“Yes…  _ Master _ ,” Ezra gritted out finally, nearly gagging on the word ‘master’. Although he hadn’t meant it, the title still left a bitter taste on his tongue. He hated having to call that appalling creature his master, that creature didn’t even deserve it.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Maul smiled, obviously pleased. “I will let this crying incident off with a warning, as we have much to cover, but next time I will not be so lenient.”

Ezra shuddered in revulsion at the monster before him. How could something so delusional and evil even exist? The vampire let go of the boy in favor of tucking his hands behind his back as he looked down intently at his apprentice. His facial expression eased, twisting into one that some may call amusement, but to Ezra, it was an expression that repulsed him.

“I’ve got something for you,” he finally said before stalking off to a nearby wooden table, grabbing something. “I found it while scouring the town looking for workers.”

Maul threw the object at Ezra, the pages rustling as it soared through the air and into Ezra’s hands. He looked at it blankly, his brain slowly catching up. It was a newspaper. Frowning, he couldn’t understand why the vampire would give him this.

“On the front page,” Maul said rather impatiently, using a tone as one would use when instructing a toddler for the umpth time on the most basics of tasks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ezra glared at the vampire before turning the newspaper around to the correct page, lowering his gaze to the wrinkled paper. The headlines were bold and hard to miss, and a lump formed in his throat at the words. 

“Family murdered, missing son suspected for arson”

This couldn’t possibly be about his family, Ezra told himself. However, that was his family in the photo, the very same one that they had taken back earlier this year during the town’s annual summer festival, smiling back at him from the newspaper page. His vision began to blur and the newspaper’s flimsy paper started to crumble under his trembling hands, the sound of paper crushing barely audible as he cut himself off from his surroundings.

_ Tarkintown mourns the tragic loss of the Jarrus family. Coroners have identified the bodies found at last Monday’s fire, through dental records, bones of the deceased Hera Jarrus, 38, Kanan Jarrus, 40, and Sabine Jarrus, 17. Upon further investigation it has been deduced that the victims had been murder prior to the fire. Forensic experts have determined no forced entry was involved and the fire originated from within the house. Son, Ezra Jarrus, 16, has yet not been found, making him the primary suspect of arson. Reports indicate that Ezra had been showing signs of instability earlier the day of the fire, taking violent actions against a classmate, unprovoked. _

_ “He has always been a bit off,” the victim stated, “But that day, he actually punched me! And I got the concussion and stitches to prove it!” _

_ Authorities are still on the lookout for the missing Ezra Bridger and are asking the public to come forward if they have any information about his whereabouts _

_ Ezra Bridger was adopted back in 2010… _

The words blurred and Ezra could not bear to read any longer. He wanted to scream, reprimand them for their false accusation. Only, they weren’t completely false, now were they? He  _ had _ killed his family by his own hands, even if it had been unwilling. He was certain they had a word for such murders… he was under duress? However, thanks to this news article, his entire town now thought of him as nothing more than an unstable, psychopath on the run made his insides turn and his recent meal threatened to surface. 

A deep chuckle made Ezra snap out of his turmoil and he looked up to see Maul’s eyes glistening with mirth. The vampire found this situation amusing, he realised. If it hadn’t been for this fiend, then none of this would have happened. It was all his fault! All his doing!

A murderous rage bubbled beneath the surface and Ezra’s lips pulled back into a snarl, baring his gritted teeth. 

“You monster!” He spat out, his whole body trembling with rage as red tears streamed down his face. Not waiting for a response, Ezra threw himself towards Maul. He had already suspected it would be in vain considering what happened the previous night, but was surprised when his nails scraped across the vampire’s cheek. In his shock, Ezra faltered for a moment, expecting to be met with rage and violence. Instead, Maul regarded him with amusement as if his scratch was nothing more than a mosquito bite.

“Now, now,” he chided mockingly, “Is that any way to treat your master?”

“I hate you!” Ezra spat out, his muscles tense as he went in for another attack, this time his wrist being caught in a bruising grip. It didn’t deter Ezra as he brought down his other hand, but again failed and was left struggling against the man’s hold. “I hate you! I hate you!  _ I hate you! _ You’ll never be my master! Just the monster that got my family murdered!” He shouted, his throat stinging from screaming.

Maul looked at him now unamused, his lips pressed tightly together and his eyes narrowed. There was a moment of silence before the vampire finally spoke in a low voice, “Are you quite done now?”

Ezra wanted nothing more than to scream more, but instead remained silent, knowing it would only further damage his already sore throat. If looks could kill, he was certain that the monster before him would have been nothing more than a decaying heap of useless flesh. Oh, how Ezra wished that was possible... 

Maul’s eyes narrowed further into thin slits as if able to read his spawn’s thoughts. He momentarily let go but before the changeling could use the opportunity to strike again, Maul backhanded him across the cheek, sending the boy to the ground in a heap. 

"Was yesterday's lesson not clear enough with having to respect me or do you need another one?" Maul gritted out and his lips pulled back. Ezra could tell that Maul was holding himself back from lashing again from the way he clenched his fist. 

Ezra remained silent on the ground, clutching his bruised cheek as he stared fearfully at the monster, his defiance momentarily forgotten as he was rendered to nothing more than a scared child longing for the safety and comfort of his parents. He hated feeling this way, especially in front of the man who had taken everything from him, but he was just so emotionally exhausted that he couldn’t keep himself together any longer.

"You are fortunate that I am not as terrible as my master was," Maul spat out and began to pace, his movements feverish as he glowered at the boy.

“Well, you are terrible enough,” came the cheeky reply causing the vampire to halt. Ezra regretted the words as soon as they stumbled out of his mouth and he tried to scramble away as Maul marched up to him but he wasn’t quick enough. The rough stone floor scraped against the underside of his legs, his pajama pants getting caught by the sharp edges as he was grabbed by his right ankle. He tried to find purchase but it proved futile against the vampire’s strength as he dragged the changeling to a closet-like room that hid in the shadows of the staircase. 

“Perhaps what you need is what humans call ‘a little time-out’,” Maul sneered and Ezra’s stomach dropped when he saw the glint of dull chains that hung from the wall. He struggled as the man hauled him to his feet, however, his attempts proved fruitless as he was pushed against the stone without much effort and the cold metal bit into his wrists with a muted click. Ezra tugged on them as soon as Maul stepped away, smirking at his handiwork as his spawn struggled to get loose. 

“You’ll find that these chains are quite unbreakable, even with your renewed strength. I had them specially made by a sorcerer long ago for my... nemesis, but they prove to be useful for this, too, it seems,” Maul said with mirth in his voice. “I’ll let you mull over the things you’ve done wrong. I have more important things to attend to than babysitting you.”

The door closed, encasing Ezra in darkness, although that did little to hinder his newly acquired eyesight. 

_ Mull over things  _ I _ did wrong?! _ He fumed as he bared his teeth to where the vampire had been standing. Ezra had done nothing wrong! It was that barbaric, distasteful monster that had done everything wrong! Turning him into this creature of the night, forcing him to kill his family, kidnapping him, and now everyone suspected him for murder! And it was all that despicable demon’s fault!

Ezra let out a wretched scream as he yanked against the biting chains, the scraping sound of metal against stone drowned by his own voice. Never had he felt this hopeless and lost and angry and just _so_ _alone_. His screams later died down into an ugly sob, his body heaving and trembling as big tears streamed down his cheeks, his previous futile struggles having long since stopped as anguish took its place in his unbeating heart. He could no longer run away from reality as he was strung up before its bleakness, forced to stare in its cold eyes.

His family was dead…

Ezra was alone...

So very alone...

Stuck with the very monster that had caused all of this...

The same monster that had left him in this dark room, chained like an animal that had misbehaved.

The very same monster that Ezra knew he could not defeat.

At least not defeat in the way he had been trying for the past two days. However, even if he did manage to escape from this psychopath, where would he run off to?  Everyone suspected him of having murdered his family and no one would believe the truth. He wouldn’t believe it if he weren’t the one living this nightmare. And even if he did tell them, and someone actually did believe him, that it was Maul who had done it, the vampire would just force Ezra to tell the truth like he had done the previous awful night or worse- force him to take another innocent life.

The realisation of his situation weighed on his mind like a tonne, pushing him under into the sea of anguish, drowning him in his own incompetence and sorrow. He didn’t want to be here. He almost wished in a sick and twisted way that Maul would just kill him instead of prolonging the inevitable - who knew what the vampire would do if he got bored of Ezra - and there was no way of knowing what this so-called training would entail. Something awful, he imagined. And what was worse was that now he had to live off the blood of the living, and despite Ezra having eaten meat from animals before, the very thought of willingly draining life from a human repulsed him. 

Of course, his body betrayed him immediately just as it would when one would think of candy. Ezra hated feeling his mouth salivate at the mere thought of the red liquid that ran through one's veins and made up his falling tears. It wasn’t normal, it wasn’t right. And yet it was all really happening, just as all the events that had occurred in the past few days also had really happened. The newspaper's bold letters flashed in his mind, renewing his deep sense of forlornness as he cried even harder.

There was no way of knowing how long he had been there. His arms had already begun to ache under the constant strain of being held up by the unbudging chains, occasionally wiggling them in hopes of fighting off the painful numb-like sensation that prickled like needles. That had so far been unsuccessful and Ezra doubted that Maul would come back anytime soon. And when he did, what then?

That psychopath had taken everything from him, everything he had ever cared or loved in this now seemingly desolate world. Still, Ezra acknowledged that he could not defeat him, at least not in strength alone. However, he knew he couldn’t stay here, he couldn’t let this monster twist him into whatever the vampire wanted. Even if there was nowhere from him to go, anywhere was better than being in the presence of that murderer. Ezra just had to be smart about it, and then, suddenly, a thought occurred.

Ezra sniffed, his tears having dried up a while ago, and looked at the closed door with somber eyes, his hatred still burning brightly in the left over ashes of the fire that had raged earlier. The thought was a deadly one, however, it promised a sliver of hope and that was enough to toy with the idea. Even if it wasn’t successful, he had nothing to lose. That murderer had already taken everything from Ezra, what harm could attempting deceiving that fiend possibly cause?

It only required lowering himself to distasteful levels in which the mere thought made his stomach churn. However, this seemed to be the best option as fighting head on proved fruitless. If he could deceive Maul instead, however, then he could perhaps escape after he had earned his trust. 

A more treacherous and sinister thought bubbled up from the abyss of his mind as he continued to lay out his plan. If along the way, if the initial trick worked and Maul believed that Ezra was a… willing servant… What if he got a chance at revenge? That demon did take everything from him, so why not rid the world of that horrific parasite? That vampire was nothing more than a nasty stain, ruining all that was good. 

Ezra nodded to himself, feeling renewed determination as hope flourished. Now all he had to do was practice his act before that cruel thing returns. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would apologise for the dark chapter but... I feel like everyone knew this was gonna be a dark fanfic? Next one has some humor in it (sort of)  
> Thank you for reading! :)


	9. Going batty

When Ezra awoke, his whole body ached from the strain of having been hanging from the chains all night - or day? He wasn’t quite sure what to call it now. His head throbbed, a sharp pain forming between his eyes as he tiredly tried to focus on waking up. It felt as if he hadn’t slept at all thinking back on the nights where he had pulled all nighters as a kid, leaving him with a foggy mind and weary muscles. 

Ezra shifted uncomfortably on his somewhat numb feet, hoping to get some feeling back as he attempted to stretch them. He already knew that the chains would not budge if he tried, Maul having been true to his word, and did not waste any energy attempting to escape from them. All he could do now is wait as patiently as he could. 

He didn’t have to wait long. The door creaked open, allowing the warm light from candles to fan across the floor and there, in the doorway, stood the menacing shadow of the man Ezra came to hate with his entire being. 

“Have you thought of what you had done wrong, my fledgling?” Maul said with patience that almost reminded him of how his mother would address him when he had done something bad. The remembrance was a painful one, and it disgusted him to no end that he even tried to compare this horrible monster to his loveable mother, but Ezra swallowed it down. He had an act to perform. 

"I-I am sorry, Master," Ezra spoke up in a meek voice, barely able to choke out the last word that left a tart taste in his mouth. It wasn’t as good of a performance as he had wished to give, having practiced for hours. However, he found that saying it to the face of the monster that had caused all of this was very different than saying it in his mind. He just hoped that Maul would buy it, blaming his voice on the dryness of his mouth and the overuse of his vocal chords screaming the previous night.

“I was out of line,” he choked out, hoping to say what Maul wanted to hear in order to distract the man from his otherwise terrible act. “I… I’m ready to learn from you” - whatever that even meant. Ezra had no clue what vampires could possibly train for. 

Maul stared at him and, for a moment, the boy thought he had been caught in his lie. However, the vampire’s lips slowly tugged upwards into a smirk and his sickly yellow eyes glistened with satisfaction.

“I am pleased that you are finally letting go of your ridiculous notion of defiance, to finally embrace your true destiny as my spawn,” he said as he walked towards the chained boy, his eyes narrowing slightly in weariness. He was testing him, Ezra realised and bit his tongue as he fought the urge to argue back. 

“Yes, I couldn’t agree more,  _ Master _ .” Ezra forced his lips into a thin smile, biting back the bile that threatened to rise. Maul narrowed his eyes once more before nodding his head in content as he reached into his pocket and fished out a key before unlocking the chains that held Ezra up. As soon as both cuffs clicked open, the changeling fell over, his wobbly legs unable to carry his sudden weight.

Maul huffed in annoyance as he tugged Ezra up to his feet and the teenager resisted the urge to pull away from the burning touch of the man. 

“Come now,” he urged as he pulled the boy out from the small, dark room and into the bright sleeping chambers. He let go and began to leisurely pace, eyeing the boy with sharp eyes. “I will first go over the basics,” Maul said as he lazily waved his hands in a gesture of wishing to get this over with.

Ezra wanted to do nothing more than roll his eyes and tune the man out. He might have said he wanted to learn, but that had been a lie and he couldn’t care less to hear whatever nonsense that spew from that madman’s mouth. 

“As you already know, you now require blood to sustain yourself,” he gave a small chuckle, recalling the deaths of the boy’s family and Ezra visibly flinched, knowing exactly what the man thought of. His precious family had died in vain for his urge for blood and his temper flared but he pushed it down, biting hard onto the insides of his lips. 

Maul paid his spawn no heed as he continued, “Your body will grow tired as dawn approaches, urging you to go to sleep much like when you were alive when darkness arrived. The sun is your enemy and will reduce you to ash.”

Ezra began thinking of other possibilities based on the information given… if all things failed and he couldn’t escape… then...

“Should you be outside when the sun rises, your instincts will override your will and your body will seek any form of refuge,” the vampire continued, his eyes narrowing as if he had been able to hear the boy’s thoughts. The idea of Maul being able to read minds was not a comforting one and Ezra vowed to guard his thoughts with greater care. He couldn’t have his plan foiled before it could even take shape. 

“But if any dark place will do, why go through all the trouble of sleeping in coffins? They aren’t particularly comfortable,” Ezra mumbled out, shuddering when he remembered the cramped space he was forced to share with that skeleton.

“While any dark place will do, your coffin will provide you with the proper rest that you require, revitalising your strength completely. Sleeping elsewhere, as you have already experienced firsthand, will leave you feeling as if you barely slept at all,” Maul explained, grinning in amusement at the teen’s expense.

Ezra looked at the vampire grimly. He felt exhausted, mentally and physically, but he had blamed that on the fact that his entire family had been murdered before being kidnapped, abused and strung up against the wall like the prisoner that he was. He made mental notes that taking his own life - if things became dire - by falling asleep in the sun would be futile… and silver had already been too excruciating to the touch... and besides, the thought of stabbing himself was a troubled one. He wasn't too sure if he had been able to succeed with the deed on that fateful night, the pain having been too unbearable for him to have gotten that far into his plan.

“Other information I will reveal as you progress in your training,” Maul informed him and Ezra gave him a blank look. This was getting ridiculous. “A wise master must not reveal all his secrets at once. Let us move upstairs for the second phase in our training session.”

The vampire turned and began to make his way to the staircase, mumbling something about the workers being no better than ogres, dumb and useless. It piqued an interest within Ezra, a question he hadn’t really thought of earlier and if it would mean that this second phase of training would be delayed, then so be it.

“Wait, if - if vampires exist, then do uhm, other creatures exist as well?” 

The question wasn’t the most well thought out, leaving his mouth awkwardly, but it had the desired effect of postponing the training. Maul froze midstep, his muscles tensing, balling his fists with a force that made his body tremble and Ezra instantly regretting opening his mouth. The creature turned, his eyes bright with a glimmer of madness and marched over to the boy with careful, menacing steps until he loomed over him like a tall shadow. 

“Oh, there are other creatures out there,” he gave a short chuckle, making Ezra shrink away. “Dirty mutts, deceitful faeries, irritating witches and the most distasteful of them all, the thorn in my side," Maul paused, taking a deep breath as if attempting to futilely calm himself as he hissed out the final word, as if it were the darkest curse one could ever conjure, spit splattering onto Ezra's face. " _ Kenobi." _

It took all of Ezra’s strength not to wipe away the remnants of saliva on his face, not wanting to accidentally agitate the monster any more than he already was. The man’s shoulders were heaving from his small outburst, and his eyes still had that unsettling flare, causing Ezra to wonder what exactly a ‘kenobi’ was. Given his master’s reaction, it must be something horrendous indeed and he hoped to never cross paths with it. 

“Then, do zombies exist too?” Ezra asked rather hesitantly, hoping to change the subject and distract Maul from kenobi. He had seen plenty of undead gore movies, and if he and Maul were supposedly the undead in terms of vampires, then the idea shouldn’t be too far off, right? However, Maul did not seem to share the same idea as he looked at him as if he had sprouted a second head.

“What kind of fictional world do you think we live in, boy?” The vampire asked, dubiously. Ezra bit his lips, settling on a glare and he knew that if he could still blush, his cheeks would have been pink. It wasn’t his fault to have assumed that zombies would also have existed, given the fact that, until a few days ago, he would have laughed at the idea of vampires being real.

“You have much to learn,” Maul announced, roughly grabbing Ezra’s wrist, shattering the briefest of moments where things had felt almost okay in the past day and the fledgling cried out as he was pulled forward. Ezra was surprised to find upstairs to be brimming with life, human workers were hauling lumber and other materials around the house, replacing the rotting pieces of wood with new ones. Their faces, however, were like blank canvases, holding no expression as they carried out their duty of restoring the mansion, almost as if they were in some kind of daze.

“It was very easy to compel these weak minded humans to do my bidding,” Maul spoke up, causing the boy to flinch. He had momentarily forgotten about the vampire in his distraction of the bustling activity and inwardly cursed at his own carelessness. This man was still the very monster that had forced him to kill his family, and knowing how many humans he could control at once was a daunting realisation. “You are a natural when it comes to connecting with others, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to spur me from my cursed slumber. I will teach you how to control these pathetic beings. Come.”

Maul let go of Ezra, grabbing one of the hypnotised workers, dragging him out through the front door and the changeling reluctantly followed him. The night sky was cloudless, though it was clear that it had rain, the evidence being in the deep mud left behind in its wake. The moon shone down upon them with its silver tendrils, offering light that was not needed to peer through the darkness as they walked onto the garden, fighting against the mud with every step. 

Maul abruptly stopped, nearly causing Ezra to walk into him and he looked up at the creatue, awaiting his instructions. He did not want to learn how to be a vampire, but after Maul’s display of anger earlier, he thought it would be best to wait out before striking.

“The task is quite simple. All you have to do is reach into the man’s mind and force your will upon him. Like this,” Maul instructed before turning to the man whose eyes had become lively again, the previous haze dissipating. The worker opened his mouth to speak, confusion written on his face, but before he could say anything, the vampire raised his hand. Pain replaced confusion as he struggled against the monster for control, losing as his eyes glossed over, becoming a puppet once more. 

“Reaching out physically like that will help guide you as a beginner,” he explained as he turned his attention back to his spawn and gestured to the man, “Now you give it a go. I will keep my control over him so that there would be less resistance.”

Ezra looked at the human with uncertainty as he lifted his hand up, following Maul’s instruction as he reached out towards the man’s head. He felt silly doing this. Ezra had seen Maul use hypnosis without as much as lifting up a finger, but would it really work for him? Were the powers even real? Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth as he concentrated on what he imagined was him stretching his mind out to greet the human’s. 

“Stretch outwards,” came the barely audible instructions and the changeling found himself focusing inwards instead, unable to understand what to do otherwise. Something shifted in his mind and for a brief second he wondered if he had done something right. Cracking his eyes open to see his progress, he gasped when the world was nothing more than a disorientated landscape, much like those abstract paintings one would find in an art gallery, causing him to feel nauseous. Sharp pain washed over him as if something was pulling at his flesh and bones, almost as if deforming them into something new, something unnatural. 

“Agh!” he cried out in agony, “What’s happening to me?! Why are you growing taller?!”

Ezra could barely see Maul through the blaring pain, smirking with an amused glint in his eyes as he looked down at the boy, growing taller much like the rest of the surroundings. The burning sensation eventually stopped and his body felt different in an uncomfortable way, as if it didn’t actually belong to him. Everything appeared like in those old movies, there was no more colour, just dull shades of grey that painted the towering figures misshapen and distorted. It made him want to cower away, confused and disorientated in his state. 

“Well, this certainly is a surprise,” Maul said, his voice echoing loudly in Ezra’s ears, and he tried covering them only to fall flat onto his face. “I should have known that you would harbor the ability to transform into a bat.”

_ A bat?! _ Ezra thought, bewildered at the idea. But looking down as he pushed off the ground, the vampire was, indeed, correct in his assessment. Instead of hands, he found that his fingers had elongated into thin appendages to support the wing membrane that weaved between what were once his fingers. If he had a heart, he was very certain that it would have been racing in his chest as panic began to settle. 

_ How _ on earth was this even possible? The question now seemed slightly bizarre given the fact that mythical creatures actually existed, but to be confined into a smaller, more vulnerable body did little calm his nerves.  A desperate thought rose from his frantic mind. If he was a bat and bats could fly, then perhaps this was the chance he had been waiting for…

Ezra began flapping his wings vigorously, the effort being much harder than he had initially anticipated. His arms fluttered awkwardly, unable to figure out the proper movements to initiate flight and Maul didn’t offer any word of advice as he stood there, watching the scene of Ezra miserably failing with great amusement. The smirk on the vampire’s face made the fledgling redouble his efforts, and he began to hover slightly before falling back into the cold mud, covering the furs on his face and body with muck. 

Hopelessness began to blossom as he propped himself once more with his wings. How could he possibly escape if he couldn’t even fly? 

“Ezra,” Maul said coolly as he stepped towards the bat, “As amusing as it is watching your pathetic attempts at flight, I believe that playtime is over.”

The tone of his voice sent waves of fear down Ezra’s body, knowing that his time of practice had come to an end. He began to flap his wings more desperately, anxious to get away with every step that the vampire took, getting closer and closer. Ezra inwardly gasped when he saw that he was beginning to lift up off the ground, hope swelled within him and he began to move his limbs in a more coordinated fashion, flying higher and higher.

He was actually doing it! He was flying!

Ezra squeaked when a hand grabbed him, painfully ripping at his left wing and he could feel his fragile bones starting to crack. Screaming in pain, he fiercely flopped his right wing in hopes of escaping Maul's grasp, but the grip tightened, causing the bones to snap. As if on instinct, Ezra’s body began to transform back into a human’s, the shift draining copious amounts of energy causing him to feel completely exhausted. The sharp pain in his broken left arm intensified as he fell to the ground, his limb still being held up with a brutal force. 

“I tried to be patient in hopes that you would see that your attempts of running away were futile,” Maul said, his yellow eyes flashing dangerously under the moonlight. “But it would seem you’re much more persistent than I gave you credit for.”

The vampire managed to twist the words that would have initially been thought of as a sad pass at a compliment, lacing them heavily with the promise of punishment and Ezra whimpered, biting at his lips to desperately hold back a scream. His whole arm felt as if it were on fire and the sense of hopelessness did not help the situation as Maul hauled him up from the frigid mud, which seeped into his clothing, making them cling uncomfortably to his body like a second skin. 

“Now, if you do as I say and perform your next task, then perhaps I may overlook your attempt of running away,” Maul hissed, pushing his spawn towards the man who stared at them passively. “Force your will onto him. Think of stretching your mind outwards, let it flow like water, _don’t_ resist.”

Frightened, Ezra nodded his head, hesitantly reaching out again, this time focusing more on pushing outwards rather than inwards. He was afraid of messing up and angering the monster further by turning into a bat again. He didn't think he would be able to defend himself, the transformation already having taken so much energy out of him. Closing his eyes, he began to search, probing with the invisible fingers of his mind and gasped when he found a thread of some sort, giving a light blue hue that felt warm to the touch. Tugging on it, Ezra could see it leading to the man that stood before him and hesitantly followed it.

There was a pregnant pause where nothing happened, then, images poured inside his head, people and places he did not recognise. It took a moment for him to realise that these were memories of the human. Ezra had done it, he was inside this man’s mind, but seeing the world through the human’s eyes made his stomach churn. This felt wrong, everything about this was invasive and immoral. 

Pulling away, Ezra stumbled slightly back, his hand quivering slightly as he grasped it, holding it as if he had burned it on a stove top. Tears stung his eyes as he regarded the man with horrified eyes. 

“I-I can’t,” he stammered out. He didn’t want to be here, training under this cruel monster that had taken everything from him, everything he had ever come to love. Ezra’s sniffling was cut short when a hand roughly grabbed him by his arm.

“Enough of crying,” Maul snarled before letting his spawn go, then muttering under his breath, “Perhaps you need a little bit of motivation.”

Ezra didn’t like the terrible feeling he got the way Maul said that, like a dark promise of torment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my lore, I am going to make that not all vampires have the same ability or skills. So for Ezra, he is naturally good at connecting with others despite his trouble making friends at school and he has the ability to transform into a bat, which is uncommon amongst vampires. I would love to talk about Maul's abilities, but that will all be revealed in due time...   
> Sleeping in coffins is the best option for vampires to regenerate their strength, because my reasoning is that they are supposed to be dead. Hence, they belong in a coffin. I took the survival instincts from Demon Slayer, where you would automatically seek refuge away from the sun, because you cannot carry a coffin everywhere - that seems very impractical, especially if you are too far away from home (hunting or traveling or being held captive).   
> Until next time, stay safe, and Happy holidays! :) <3


	10. The scream

Ezra did not quite understand what the vampire meant until the worker suddenly leaped into action, running towards the boy with malicious intent. Barely having enough time to comprehend what was happening, Ezra leaped to the side to avoid a punch, nearly slipping when his foot got caught in the mud. 

“S-Stop!” He yelled out as he, once again, avoided another tackle, but the words fell deaf on the man’s ears. His wide eyes turned to Maul for help, earning him only a glare from the impatient vampire.

“Force him to stop with your mind,” Maul commanded as he watched the fledgling continue to struggle. 

Ezra frowned, how could he possibly reach out to the human’s mind if he was being continuously attacked? Putting enough distance between the two, he closed his eyes and, with invisible fingers, he searched until he found threads that were woven together into some sort of a web. He felt like a spider as he navigated through the connection, moving towards the shortest and brightest one which would lead him straight to the man's mind.  Memories flowed through Ezra’s head much like the first time he melded minds with the human, this time much clearer than his previous attempt. 

The vague images of people and places merged into a concrete scene, a small girl of the age six or seven smiling in the direction of the man, holding the hands of a woman whose eyes softened with love. This was this man’s family Ezra realised, his most treasured memory of them. 

Biting his lips, Ezra pushed down the memories, he had to focus on forcing his will onto the human. However, before he could open his mouth and command the man to leave this place and back to his family, Ezra doubled over when a knee rammed itself into his stomach.

His eyes snapped open, saliva spewing from his lips as his breath gushed out of him and Ezra lost his grip on the man’s mind like sand slipping through his fingers. Before he could react, a hand clawed his hair, forcing his head back when a fist slammed down onto his jaw earning a cry. It hurt, it hurt so much and Ezra felt powerless, helpless at the situation as he couldn’t concentrate long enough to find the man’s mind and force his will upon him. 

“Please! Stop!” He cried out, unable to physically hurt the man. Ezra had already brought too much pain to those around him and thus, allowed the human to punch him again. “ _ Master _ , please!” The word was like acid on his tongue, but he was desperate enough to use it, hoping that it would make the vampire show mercy. It didn’t.

“You’ll have to overcome these things on your own if you are to survive,” was the cold reply from Maul, who watched the scene idly. It was obvious that he was not impressed with his spawn so far.

Ezra let out another cry as a fist came in contact with his lip, tearing its delicate skin and causing blood to spew down his chin. He ignored the cut, knowing it would heal soon enough, as he tugged himself free from the human’s grip, his shirt tearing in the process and stumbled backwards, losing his balance. A tall shadow fell over him, making him feel trapped like a mouse in a corner, shivering under the hungry gaze of a cat. 

There was a glint under the silver light of the moon and Ezra’s eyes widened. 

When had the man gotten a knife?!

Overcome by fear, Ezra could only watch with wide eyes as the man brought the knife down. Without even thinking, the changeling threw his arms forward in a panicked motion, screwing his eyes shut, awaiting for the stinging pain of the blade. He didn’t think it would be silver, but it would still hurt nonetheless and pain was not something he welcomed. However, no pain came. Instead, there was a slow clapping sound and a chuckle.

“Well done, my young fledgling,” Maul praised, clearly happy with whatever Ezra had done. 

Confused, he cracked his eyes open and flinched at the sight. The man was lying on the ground in front of a tree that was now slightly bent, unmoving and the only indication that he was still alive was the shallow rise and fall of his back as he breathed. Slowly he looked down at his trembling hands, brows furrowed. How? Did… did _he_ do that?

“It wasn’t what I had asked you to do,” Maul continued, snapping Ezra’s attention away from his shaking hands and to the vampire who leaned back lazily against the fence like a bored cat. “But it was good enough despite you being unaware as to  _ how _ you did it.”

Ezra swallowed thickly as he gazed back at the still body. He wished he hadn’t done whatever he had done, he hadn’t wanted to cause any harm to the human and his stomach twisted into knots. The disgusting yet sickly intoxicating scent of blood weighed heavily on his senses, causing his mouth to unwillingly salivate, coaxing him to come closer and have a bite. It had been a day since he last ate and the hunger was starting to take hold. But he mustn’t… he couldn’t… this was the one part that he still refused to do. It was wrong...

“Go ahead, feed,” Maul said encouragingly, waving his hand idly towards the body. “You deserve it after all.”

The boy’s head snapped up, the vampire’s voice bringing him back to reality once more. His eyes widened when he realised that he had unconsciously taken a few steps closer towards the body, much too lost in his thoughts to notice and his lips pulled back in revulsion. Disgust and shame clawed at his very being as he continued to stare at the man, now able to see the blood dripping down the back of his skull, clumping his thick, brown hair. Ezra wanted nothing more than to turn away but his legs would not respond.

“I-I won’t,” he stammered out, "I'm not hungry." That had, of course, been a lie and he could feel his stomach twist in protest and his throat burn with longing for the red liquid that glistened beneath the moonlight. Maul didn't seem to buy the lie and pushed off from the fence he had been leaning on and stalked over to Ezra, placing a large, cold hand upon his shoulders causing the fledgling to flinch at the touch.

“Are you not?” The vampire's smooth voice was like a dagger in Ezra's ear, laced with the false pretense of tenderness and the thought of that was revolting. Such a distasteful creature as Maul could never offer comfort or be caring. "You haven't eaten since yesterday, and your eyes, they shine a bright red of hunger… I can  _ feel _ your desire for the man's blood. Give in... it's only natural."

"It's not natural," the struggle of speaking took more effort than Ezra would like to admit. He balled his fists as he felt his fangs ache in his mouth as if begging for him to sink them into the tender flesh of the living. But he wouldn't do it, he couldn't. "He's a living human being…"

"He is only a stranger, someone you have never met before. He was made to be our cattle, our livestock. You are doing nothing wrong by feeding off his blood. You have every right to do so. After all, you are above these pathetic mortals." Maul countered, his voice still holding its gentle tone that made the boy shift uncomfortably on his feet, shuddering in revulsion. 

“But he has a family...” Ezra replied quietly and the memory of the smiling girl flashed in his clouded mind. He held onto the image, he needed to in order to stay grounded as he continued to watch as more blood gathering around the man's - that girl's father's - head. 

"And so what if he does? He is a mere mortal, he means  _ nothing _ to you," Maul paused and Ezra could feel his cruel eyes on him. "It shouldn't be that hard. After all… you did take the lives of your sister and mother... Or have you already forgotten?"

Ezra let out a hiss of anger at the cruel words that dripped from Maul's cocky mouth like poison, his body stiffening as he fought the urge to punch the vampire. Once again, that monster was testing his loyalty, attempting to see past Ezra's mask of deception as a willing apprentice. He blinked away the bitter tears that threatened to fall and swallowed down the argument of how murdering his family had not been his choice, that it had been that beast's doing. But Ezra knew that those words of truth would just fall deaf on Maul's ears, the vampire being too delusional in his own world to see reality. For now, he had a game to play and he planned to win it. 

"No, I haven't forgotten," he gritted out and he yanked his shoulder away from Maul's cruel hand, but did not turn to meet the yellow orbs of the monster. "But I… I still can't do it…"

"Hmm." Maul let out a sigh of disappointment before making a dramatic gesture of his arms. "It would be a shame if something were to happen to that man's family…"

The wicked words caused Ezra's head to snap towards Maul, his eyes widening at the threat.

"Wha-? You can't be serious!" 

"I'm afraid that I am," came the nonchalant reply. "If you do not feed on the man with your own free will, then his family will suffer the consequences."

Ezra glared at the vampire, his red eyes flaring with deep resentment and anger. How dare this fiend hang this man's family over his head like that, to force him to weigh the lives of humans and choose who gets to live and die. The fledgling wanted nothing more than to cry at the horrible situations he kept finding himself in, but crying wouldn't change anything. It didn't save his family, and it won't save this man or his family. 

Without saying anything, Ezra took bitter steps forward, his feet dragging heavily against the mud, wanting nothing more than to delay the inevitable. He took a moment to look at the haggard man with sad eyes, filled with regret before kneeling and turning the body so that the human was looking upwards. This wasn't something he wanted to do, and he wished nothing more than to continue his futile protests, but that would only result in more unnecessary deaths.

_ I'm sorry, _ he thought soberly as he dragged his eyes away from the unconscious man's sweaty and muddied face.

Ezra swallowed thickly as he eyed the blood stained neck, he could hear the man's life essence singing to him, the steady rhythm of the heart. It sounded beautiful, like one of those great symphonies played by great musicians, bringing a feeling of warmth to the vampire's otherwise cold, unbeating heart. Without realising what he was doing, the fledgling already began to lean in, inching ever closer to the pulsating jugular vein that called to him with its siren's song.

As his lips touched the warm skin, he told himself that he didn't require that much blood, at least not enough to actually kill the person. He only had a few gulps of Maul's blood before he felt sated, so why would this be any different? The thought was reassuring and Ezra felt slightly more at ease as he opened his mouth wide before closing it around the human's neck, his fangs slicing through the flesh and vessels with ease.

Blood oozed into his mouth, drowning all thoughts of doubts and restraints as his eyes rolled back into his skull.  _ Force, this tastes good! _ Was the only thing Ezra could think of in that moment as euphoria made its way down to his toes. It wasn't as good as the vampire's ancient blood, but it was still phenomenal. 

Slowly, but surely, the restraints he had held onto so desperately began to slip through his fingers, unable to grasp them even if he tried. He greedily sucked the blood, pressing his tongue against the neck to urge more of the liquid to flow out from the wounds. Still it wasn't enough, he wanted more of the nectar, much like a child wanting to eat another piece of candy from their Halloween bag despite knowing that it would make them sick, and so, Ezra started to bite down harder. The muscles stood no chance against his sharp fangs that glided through them like scissors gliding through paper, tearing the throat open in his weak moment of greed. 

It was only when a scream pierced his ears that Ezra realised what he was doing, causing him to rip away from the human in fright and disgust. The man was no longer in a state of euphoria that came from the blood loss and having his blood sucked, but instead was convulsing violently on the floor from shock and agony. The boy could only watch in complete horror as the human continued to flop like a fish out of water, a large chunk of his neck missing, ripped out moments earlier by Ezra’s actions, and feebly attempted to stop the blood squirting out with trembling hands, his shrieks of terror never ceasing. Then the man stilled, his heart abruptly coming to a halt and everything became quiet. 

The man was dead.

The reality of what he had done caused his insides to turn and Ezra turned, throwing up the very same blood he had just drunk. He hadn’t meant to kill the man, he was only going to drink a few gulps of blood to appease Maul before sending the human on his merry way home. This wasn’t supposed to happen! And yet it did, and Ezra had no one to blame but himself.

“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Maul chuckled, causing the boy to flinch. In his momentary inner turmoil, he had almost forgotten that the vampire was there,  _ almost _ . “Though pitiful in regards to you pathetically vomiting afterwards.”

Ezra didn’t reply, his upset stomach clenching painfully as his body trembled and he refused to look that monster in the eye. He felt small, much like when he had been a child with a fever, but this time he didn’t have his mom or dad to comfort him, and the bitter taste of iron and acid only set a reminder of what had taken place. It made him feel like he was about to come undone, crumble away into nothingness and tears stung his eyes. Unable to hold himself together any longer and no longer able to withstand being in the presence of that horrible being and the dead human, Ezra jumped to his feet and ran. He bolted through the unkept garden and through the rusted gate towards the forest, the vampire’s cruel laughter ringing loudly in his ears despite the growing distance. 

The ground underneath him was still wet from all the rain they had been recently having and it caused his feet to give out a few times as he struggled against the branches that clawed at his now ripped pajama shirt. The trees teared away at his skin, not that he felt the stinging sensation in his numb state, and kept on running until he reached a small clearing. Ezra leaned against the tree with one hand, his trembling body hunched over as he attempted to regain composure, his stomach threatening to dump its contents all over again as his mind reeled with the events that had thus far occured: the dead man convulsing violently against the muddy ground, half of his neck ripped open as blood gathered around his dying body. The image of the man's family waiting for their father and husband to come home only to realise that he was never going to return, the little girl crying in her grieving mother's arms. 

Ezra screwed his eyes shut as he hopelessly tried to expel the images, falling to the ground when he no longer had the energy to keep himself up and leaned back heavily against the tree, its bark jabbing uncomfortably into his back. His mind fell back into the downward spiral that seemed to have become the norm in the past few days, and he idly wondered if Maul was going to appear from some obscure shadow to drag him back to that miserable place that the demon called home. However, he had yet to make his appearance and Ezra's mind continued to wander elsewhere. 

Wrapping his arms around his legs, he rested his head on top of his knees. He would give anything to turn back time, then he would have never accepted that stupid bet. If it hadn’t been for his stupid mouth and eagerness to earn easy money… if it hadn’t been for his stupid classmates, he wouldn’t be here… it was as much of their fault as it was that malicious vampire’s… they were the reason that everything was gone, the reason why Ezra was now painted as an unstable pyro maniac that had murdered his own family.

Perhaps they could help win Maul's trust...

Something gentle pulled at his mind and for a tense moment he thought that Maul was coming after him, but the presence felt nothing like the overwhelming darkness that etched into his very being. Instead, it felt… neutral… not good or bad, but just there. 

Ezra lifted his heavy head up and curiously tugged onto the bond he felt, urging it to come to him and not a minute later, a small shadow moved from under the bushes. He could only watch in slight fascination as a rodent waddled towards him without any fear and his eyes widened in realisation. He did it. He  _ actually _ did it, he had compelled the rat to come to him, crawling onto his lap as it stared at him with its black, beady eyes. 

At the moment, Ezra was not feeling that hungry, feeling too nauseous after drinking from... well, he didn’t really want to think about it, his stomach churned with shame. However, if he drank from rodents instead of humans, then that wouldn’t be so bad… it could work, right? There were a few, although not very good, fictional books his sister used to go crazy for about vampires surviving on animal blood. So far all the fiction had been mostly correct regarding the now not so mythical creatures, so maybe he could do that. Although Maul must never find out and Ezra would keep it a secret, he could only imagine how angry and appalled the vampire would be if he ever discovered the truth. 

He was about to pick up the rat when a horrific scream made him jump to his feet, the rodent completely forgotten as he scanned his surroundings. The voice sounded familiar although distorted and in such horrible pain causing his hair to stand at ends. His ears strained but the forest had become deadly quiet, even the wind having died down almost as if running away from the ominous presence that was lurking out there. Then it came again, this time closer and Ezra tensed as dread seeped into his very being. 

It couldn’t be...

“EZRA!” The voice shrieked, calling his name with desperation. 

No… it couldn’t be… she was dead… 

And yet there was no doubt in his mind…

That was Sabine’s voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is. Sorry for the delay, this chapter took forever to edit (and totally was not procrastinating by watching documentaries on Hannibal and Carthage...). Next week may be delayed even more due to an exam but hopefully not by much - just giving a fair warning this time.
> 
> Happy new year everyone!! And thank you for reading/commenting/giving kudos, it is very much appreciated :)


	11. Sabine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Blood Spawn:   
> “EZRA!” The voice shrieked, calling his name with desperation.   
> No… it couldn’t be… she was dead…   
> And yet there was no doubt in his mind…  
> That was Sabine’s voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that it took so long to upload. Exam period did not go as planned, and after 2 tries, to cheer myself up I got AC: Odyssey and well... the rest was history. However, I am getting back into schedule of writing, but it may be slow at first. To make it up, I will posting Blood Spawn Extras, which for the first part will contain images of how Maul's mansion looked like in its former glory for those who are curious.

Ezra was by no means quiet as he bolted through the winding trees, frozen leaves and branches snapping beneath his feet, not that he meant to be stealthy to begin with. Dread pooled in the pit of his stomach, twisting it painfully, as he frantically searched for the voice calling his name. 

The voice of his dead sister.

It should be impossible… to hear her cry out for help...  _ for him _ ... She had already been dead for a few days, her remains rendered to charred bones from the house fire inflicted by that vile murderer. So logically speaking, it couldn’t be anything more than a figment of his imagination, a fleeting hope that the impossible may be possible, so desperate to see his loving family once more. Perhaps he had already started his journey into insanity, he mused bitterly to himself, losing himself just as his kidnapper had lost himself years before… although Ezra thought it was more likely that Maul had always been insane and sadistic. 

The theory was very much plausible. After all, he had already begun believing that he was a vampire and that should have been seen as a large red flag for madness. Then again, the more desperate and irrational child-like side of him longed for the dream that it had been Sabine. He would give the world to be in the warm embrace of his family, even to have Sabine tease him merciless, pulling annoying pranks on him. 

Anything. 

However, the quietness of the forest made his heart sink as he slowed his pace, coming to a halt as he gazed between the surrounding trees. 

Nothing.

Not even the sound of crickets or the flapping wings of nightbirds penetrated the air, only stillness. Dreadful stillness. A sense of eeriness and foreboding crept up his spine when he realised that the forest had been deserted, not even allowing him a glimpse of glowing pupils of the animals that should have been roaming in the night. 

As he waited with bated breath, his hope started to dwindle. Now, as time ticked on, he felt certain that Sabine’s voice had indeed been nothing more than the figment of his imagination, created by his deep longing of his loved ones. Angry and frustrated, Ezra took it out on the poor tree that had the misfortune of being the closest to him, punching it with a sharp shout. He watched as it snapped in half, its upper portion falling to the ground with a loud groan and thud, his body shaking with discontent.

Ezra felt foolish to have allowed such hopes to swindle his mind, overriding his logical side with dreams that could never be. Tears of sheer frustration and anguish welled up in the corner of his clenched eyes before trickling down his cheeks. It made him feel worse when he realised that he had bolted off into an unknown direction and had no idea where he even was. Not that it mattered anyways. He had no desire to return to that vile place Maul called home. And just as he was about to sit down on the wet, cold ground to wallow in his own misery, the scream came again, this time, much closer.

It grated against his ears like nails on a chalkboard, forcing Ezra to cover them and he winced in pain. He knew it was his imagination and knew that it would be pointless to search for Sabine, but the distress in her voice was horrific and pulled painfully at his unbeating heart. And before he knew it, his legs moved on their own, rushing in the direction where the scream came from. He nearly tripped a few times, branches snagging at his feet, and before long, he was at the edge of a small clearing.

Above, clouds had begun to gather, snuffing out the small tendrils of light that were offered by the moon. Ezra didn’t need any light to see in the dark anymore, but the darkness gave rise to a sinister atmosphere, one that made his footwork falter. There was no sign of Sabine in the clearing, which didn’t surprise him but it didn’t hurt any less. However, this time, he knew  _ something _ was out there, watching him, something malevolent. 

There was no way that this presence lurking in the shadows could be his sister. Sabine had been a gentle soul despite her rebellious demeanor, always being there for him when he needed a shoulder to lean on. However, despite all this, there was a small sliver at the hopeful prospect that Sabine could still be there. Perhaps a ghost’s presence, if they even existed at all, was not that different to that of a vampire. And a cruel whisper reminded him of the horrible death that had been bestowed upon his sweet sister who had been so young and so full dreams and hope for a bright future. 

Ezra shook his head, willing the thoughts and the guilt away. It was silly for him to be expectant on anything good, especially with the direction with which his life had taken. 

“Ezra,” whispered a voice from the shadows. There was a sense of unease that shivered up the fledgeling’s spine, but there was no doubt that this had been the voice he had been searching for.

“S-Sabine…?” He stuttered as he called out in a small voice. His fingers twitched as he fought the urge to run away from there, but he stood his ground. Not that he had anywhere to run to anyways, he had nothing left in this world. And right now, he had to know that this wasn’t Sabine, that his mind was playing tricks on him, that he was finally starting to lose himself to all of this insanity. 

There was a soft rumble, the kind of pleased sound that a beast would make deep within its chest when seeing a helpless prey. Then there was a rustling of leaves that caused Ezra’s head to snap in the direction that the sound was coming from. There, in the shadows of the trees, was a movement of a large form, walking with the stride of a predator. Ice shot through Ezra’s veins, his muscles tensing with sudden dread. This was  _ not _ Sabine. It couldn’t be.

He could smell this creature - _this_ _thing_ \- before it came lumbering out from the darkness. It reeked of carrion, his hands flying to cover his offended nose as he fought back the bile that threatened to rise again. Never had he smelled anything so vile in his short years on earth - and he had even explored sewers at one point! 

The stench only grew stronger until, finally, its source came into view, stopping at the clearing’s edge. It - whatever ‘it’ was - looked as horrendous as it smelled, forcing Ezra to look away, barely able to stomach its appearance. The creature stood taller than the teenager, its head hanging lower, giving its body a somewhat triangular shape. It almost looked like something that had come from Frankenstein’s lab, an abomination sewn together with mismatched body parts that had already begun decaying. Its head was that of a mangy wolf with viscous, black saliva that dripped from its teeth filled jaws like acid. The body itself looked as if it had once belonged to a moose that had long since died of malnourishment, its prominent bones shown clearly through the patches of sparsely covered black skin. On top of its shoulders was a tuft of long spikes that trailed down its spine, growing smaller in size as it reached its rump. Its legs morphed into those of a lion’s, claws adorning sharp nails that dragged across the dirt.

Ezra took a step back, swallowing thickly as he forced himself to look at the monster again. Greeting him were its hungry, glowing red eyes that held the promise of pain and torment. His palms began to feel clammy despite having lost his ability to sweat, the sheer pressure of the creature’s presence threatening to swallow him whole. Even having been forced in the malicious presence of Maul had not prepared him for this overwhelming storm.

The muscles of his legs strained under the urge of wanting to flee, but fear paralysed him where he stood. Even if he did run, Ezra knew he would most likely not go far, and by the looks of it, this beast would enjoy the hunt. He could see it in its red eyes, the hunger, the thrill. It felt sickening and threatening all at the same time.

His stomach dropped when the beast’s lips pulled back as if it were attempting to grin, bearing all its blackened teeth. 

“Ezra…”

The fledgling felt as if his insides had been turned to ice, his stomach painfully twisting when he heard the hideous thing speak. He recognised that voice, the very same one that he had so desperately chased through this twisted forest. The voice that had belonged to his older sister, Sabine. Anger began to replace Ezra’s initial shock as an overwhelming amount of thoughts raced through his mind. 

There was no way that this  _ thing _ could be Sabine. His sister had been an amazing person, a kind soul, not some vile abomination that smelled of rotting flesh. Ezra clenched his fists as he glared at the grinning beast, wanting nothing more than to take his wrath out on it. First, his family had been ripped from him and now this vermin dared to use his sibling’s voice. 

However, a small voice in the back of his mind made him hesitate. How would this beast, no matter its cynical and horrendous demeanor, know Ezra’s name, or even Sabine’s voice? The more logical part answered that it must be some kind of mythical creature that he never even heard of until now. The more hopeful part of him wished that there was a possibility that Sabine’s spirit was somehow alive through this thing, attempting to reach out to her brother, even if it was just temporary. 

Despite the latter possibility, the weariness did not leave him and he eyed the beast with distrust as it began to encircle him at a leisurely pace. The muscles in his jaw ached as he fought the urge to move, knowing that his timing would have to be perfect if he were to escape. However, the creature made no indication of attacking as it finished the circle, wheezing out a chuckle. What the thing was laughing at, Ezra had no idea.

“Why did you kill me, brother?” It asked suddenly and the question nearly knocked the teen off his feet. Hearing those words with Sabine’s voice crushed his soul and a tidal wave of guilt engulfed him, dragging him down into darkness. Memories began to surface, causing his stomach to twist uncomfortably as the motionless body of Sabine came to mind, blood dripping down her slender pale neck. 

“I…” Ezra tried to speak, tried to come up with an excuse, to say that he had been forced to do it, but the words died on his dry tongue. His lips opened and closed uselessly as he continued to attempt to choke out the things he so desperately wanted to say.

“You didn’t stop when I begged,” Sabine continued, her voice small and quivering, rendered to nothing more than a helpless child. “Why, brother?!”

Ezra flinched at the sudden rise in her voice, acid lacing her tone. Her words were like daggers, jabbing at his very being, tearing him apart. For the past few days, he had longed to hear his sister’s voice once more. This, however, had not been the way he had expected. 

If Sabine had indeed come back from beyond the grave, why wouldn’t she be upset with Ezra? He had, in her eyes, killed her in an unusual and brutal way. It must have been frightening and confusing, after all, Ezra had experienced the very same thing although he had written it off as some feverish dream at the time. The only part that was worse was that he was Sabine’s younger brother, someone she had trusted and loved. Why wouldn’t she feel betrayed and angry?

“It wasn’t my choice…” The vampire mumbled back quietly, shame trickling down his very being as it weighed heavily upon his shoulders. How could he convey his true feelings and honesty into words? Sabine had never seen the horrendous being who called himself Maul, so how could she begin to understand that Ezra had been forced to kill her? “It was Maul…”

“And yet you still betrayed us…”

“I didn’t-!”

“First we adopted you into our family... took you into our home...  _ loved you _ ,” Sabine’s voice morphed into another familiar voice, his father’s. Ezra’s throat tightened from the sheer dread that cloaked his being as memories flooded into his mind. He remembered his parents dying, Kanan having been forced to watch his son murder his wife before succumbing to death by that fiend, barely able to speak a coherent sentence as he reached out to Ezra with his last breath. 

The words hurt, weighing on the boy like a ton of bricks. This was becoming all too much and he couldn’t think straight anymore. What was real? What was an illusion? He didn’t know anymore... The part that had believed that this was a trick of the mind played by star-knows-what kind of magic was fading away as irrational thoughts began to plague his mind. Ezra nearly began to disregard the danger that the ungodly beast promised in its eyes, the hideousness of its appearance as he desperately longed for his family’s forgiveness.

Falling to his knees as red stained his cheeks, Ezra looked up at the beast with wide pleading eyes. The creature purred at the sight presented before it, but the teenager ignored it, too focused on regaining his family. 

“F-Father… Mother… Sabine…” He began, choking on his sobs, “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to…”

“And yet, we’re dead because of you.”

“No!” Ezra wailed, burying his fingers into the muddy soil below him. “I swear, I hadn’t been in control! It was that vampire! I would never harm you, I-I love you!”

“You expect us to believe that feeble excuse?” Kanan asked in a low voice, one that he would use only when he was mad, causing Ezra to wince. In truth, he hadn’t expected them to believe him, but there had to be a way but he couldn’t think straight anymore. His mind reeled with overlapping memories and drowned in the sea of turbulent emotions. 

“I didn’t kill any of you, I was controlled by Maul!” The vampire cried out again, unsure what else to say. The desperation in his voice caused the creature’s grin to widen, black saliva dripping down like acid rain onto the ground below. It was a horrid sight, making Ezra’s stomach recoil in disgust, but he refused to budge. 

“I swear… I didn’t want to…” He added weakly afterwards, his tear ridden eyes cast down and his throat burned as a result of having cried and screamed. 

“And yet you slaughtered them like the pigs they were.”

The cruel words caused Ezra to go rigid. That voice did not belong to his loving father nor anyone else in his family. This voice belonged to a killer.  _ Maul _ .

However, looking up, the boy could not see the vampire anywhere in the clearing, just him and the beast. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water down Ezra’s back when the realisation began to sink in. This abomination of a creature had used Maul’s voice - Maul who was, unfortunately, still alive, or as alive as a vampire could be. The illusion of his family being ghosts shattered, replaced by horror and raw hatred. 

This thing had been taunting with him!

It had somehow seen the deepest hopes and desires inside Ezra’s heart and twisted them for its own amusement and Ezra had fallen for it. Feeling stupid at himself for having fallen for something so irrational and angry at the beast for manipulating him, he bared his fangs before lunging forward with a cry of rage. His attack was abruptly stopped by a large paw that swatted across his face, its claws tearing through his flesh as if it were nothing more than paper. 

A scream tore from his throat as he smashed into the hard ground, sharp rocks lodging themselves underneath his skin. Before he could get up, a heavy weight on his back forced him back down with such ferocity that he could feel his ribs beginning to crack from the pressure. Ezra could do nothing but to part his lips in a silent scream and attempt to wiggle himself free from the tight hold. 

He stilled when hot breath fanned across his face and he didn’t dare to crane his neck to look at the beast in the eye. His skin burned where saliva touched, eating away at his flesh, causing him to flinch. This earned a wheezy chuckle from the creature before it pulled its head away and, for a split, hopeful, second, Ezra thought that was it. 

It was over. 

Alas, luck had not been on his side for the past few days and it certainly was not changing sides now. 

White hot pain seared through his body when sharp teeth bit into his shoulder, piercing through the bone with ease. This time, the heavy weight on his lungs did not prevent him from screaming. His shrill howl of agony rang through the dead forest as the beast continued to tear through flesh, disfiguring his right arm. Ligaments and muscle tore whereas bone shattered upon its touch. 

It felt like an eternity before the creature pulled away, leaving the sting of acid behind. Ezra could only sob as he curled away from the predator, choking on his tears when he touched his injury as carefully as he could. The pain was sharp and unforgiving, forcing him to pull away and renewing his panic. Adrenalin kicked in and the fledgling scrambled away from the sick creature. He stared at it with fearful eyes while it looked back with amusement twinkling in its sinister eyes. 

It began to dawn on him that this thing was not going to kill him in one go. No, it was going to kill him slowly and there was nothing stopping it from doing so. Still, despite knowing he wasn’t strong enough to save himself, Ezra was not going to roll over and die. He still needed to avenge his family! 

“Agh!” Ezra leaped up, his right arm flopping uselessly at his side, the acid from the beast’s saliva seemingly preventing his body from healing properly. Instead of using his left arm to attack, the fledgling lifted his right leg up to kick. Ezra quickly came to find out that the creature’s body was rock hard when his foot landed square on its face, the attack coming off as nothing more than a weak slap.

He gasped in pain and shock when his nerves flared up his leg from the impact, and before he could react and move his body away, the beast opened its wide jaws and clamped down onto the appendage. Ezra could barely let out a scream before he was swung around like a ragdoll, his bones splintering and his head spinning. The agonising burn of his leg did not go away when he was thrown against a tree and the impact only worsened the wound of his right shoulder. 

Black spots began to form in his vision and his mind swirled in thick fog, disrupting his thought pattern to the point that he could not think of what action to take next. All Ezra could do was lay there and watch with horror-filled eyes as the creature stalked towards him, its foul mouth laced with his blood. 

“So weak,” it mocked, using Hera’s loving voice. “No wonder you let us all die.”

Ezra wished nothing more than to deny the words, but how could he when it held truth to them? He  _ was _ weak, he had been so on the night of his family’s murder and he was still now. He could already barely move and this fight had only just begun. All he could do now was lie still, his body screaming in pain as his wounds refused to heal as it had done when Maul had broken his bones. 

“You have failed us, and now it is time for you to pay.”

_ This was it _ , was all that the boy could think . And, although Ezra did believe that he deserved this pain because of his failure to protect his family, he didn’t want to die. He would never get his revenge for his family, never bring them justice and rid the world of the monstrosity that was Maul. That had been his goal and it would be taken away from him as well, like everything else had been. 

A wretched sob left his lips as red tears sprung from his eyes once again. All he could do was watch as the monster opened its jaws wide, revealing its stained teeth. 

_ This was it _ , he thought again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading :)


	12. The night it rained red

“Pathetic,” was all Ezra heard before the beast was sent flying away from him. Confused and dazed, the boy looked up but could see nothing. That undoubtedly had been Maul's voice, one would never forget it after all the torment that murderer had put him through. Whether or not it was the beast that had spoken it as a mocking farewell, however, Ezra was unsure. 

However, there was an inkling feeling that whatever had attacked the creature was strong and the only other being that the teenager knew of that could possibly fill that criteria, was Maul. Yet, the boy could not see him - even the monster scoured the area with weariness. It feared the attacker. That much was obvious with the way it hunched over, raising its spines and fur higher like a scared or agitated cat. 

Then, in the corner of his eyes, Ezra saw a black figure. A shadow. It was bizarre to see a shadow with nothing to cast it and with the blink of an eye, it was gone. Ezra stared at the spot where he had seen it for a while longer. It had been a distorted shape, like black flames, but Ezra had seen the figure of a man nonetheless. 

It appeared again. This time an arm's length before the beast, rearing back a leg in preparation of a kick. The creature barely had enough time to withdraw itself to a safe distance as its head flew up from the impact, roaring in pain and frustration. Its flaming red eyes frantically searched for its attacker but alas, it had seemingly blended with the surrounding shadows again. 

They waited with bated breaths as silence penetrated their senses, hoping to get the glimpse of the next attack. However, the shadow gave no such warning, revealing its skills as a true hunter, as it leaped out from the trees and struck with its claws. The monster screeched as its spines were ripped out from its back, tearing strips of skin with it. Blood splattered in an explosive manner, covering Ezra with its foul stench. 

The fledgling pushed back against the tree in fright, not paying any heed to its bark that was viciously jabbing into his now bare back. The beast now blindly swung its dangerous paws in desperate rage, hoping that it would hit the unseen attacker. Its efforts were halted when a bloodied hand grabbed hold of one of the beast's limbs in mid-air. Ezra's gaze moved up the black trench coat to look at the now revealed face- pale skin, dark brown locks and a murderous gaze.

Maul.

Ice ran down Ezra's back and his muscles tensed. He was disgusted with himself that he had felt slightly relieved at the sight of the familiar face, but the fear of the man was stronger. It was almost as if he had escaped the jaws of one beast, only to fall into the jaws of another. At least he could still have a chance at vengeance this way and that was worth living in this hell.

The boy could hear the creaking of bones as Maul began to tighten his hold and the monster wailed as it attempted to pull away from the vampire. It was hopeless, of course. With one strong tug, Maul tore off the limb and threw it away into the trees. The beast howled as it fell forward, losing its balance at the sudden loss of its appendage.

The scene unfolding before Ezra was one that he could not describe in words. He felt horrified, his insides twisting into knots as his wide eyes took in the sickening sight. It was if the heavens rained red, painting everything with blood as the liquid sprayed from the empty socket of the beast. Its cries painfully pierced his eardrums, urging him to cover it, however he found himself too aghast to do so. 

Ezra had wanted nothing more than to look away from the sight, but couldn't, too captivated by the brutality of it all. He watched the creature, its former self so grandeur and terrifying now rendered to nothing more than a pathetic thing, clawing at the dirt in desperation. It now looked like a miserable blob of mismatched body parts, coated red with its own blood and flaps of skin missing to add to its ghastly appearance. Still, Ezra felt no pity for the monster. 

Its attempt at escape was useless. Maul stalked towards the whimpering creature, his face as cold and emotionless as a stone statue, taking his time to drink in the fear he had inspired. The vampire was the true definition of a hunter, of a monster, one that Ezra had to somehow outsmart. But now was not the time to think such thoughts, not wanting to imagine what would happen if he was caught by the madman who was now brutally slaughtering the animal, ripping it limb by limb, making it screech like a pig before the slaughter. The fledgeling tried to make himself look as small as possible as he continued to reluctantly watch the onslaught.

Then, there was silence.

The quietness weighed heavily upon him after having to bear hearing the erratic screeching of the beast. It was nearly to the point of being overwhelming, as if there was a sudden void in the mist-filled forest. And no matter how small he made himself appear, he could not disappear from sight as Maul turned his attention to him. He flinched when the vampire stopped before him, now completely covered in blood and the smell assaulted his senses, causing eyes sting from the stench. 

Ezra’s body still ached, his wounds still not fully healed yet and he could feel the pull of his flesh as it slowly mended itself together. It was an uncomfortable sensation, even painful as he could still feel the burn of the beast’s saliva. And although Ezra knew what Maul wanted, he did not think he could stand, not on his broken leg. The older vampire, however, thought otherwise and hauled the boy up to his feet. Sharp pain shot through his body as his weight fell onto his injured limb and he instinctively grabbed onto Maul for support.

The man clucked his tongue in annoyance, but instead of pulling away, he let the teen hold on for a moment longer. Ezra, however, wished nothing more than to pull away if it weren’t for the fact that his leg was practically useless at the moment. The mere thought of touching that vile vampire made his stomach turn and left him hot with anger, and it stung worse than the creature’s toxins. 

“Come,” Maul said. “Let’s go home. I cleaned your coffin and got you new clothes.”

The words would have been interpreted as kind and thoughtful if it wasn’t for the lack of warmth in his tone… and the fact that Ezra  _ despised _ the vampire. However, the fledgling did not want to test his luck any more than he should, especially after the power display Maul had showed off not too long ago. That beast had been ridiculously strong.

“What  _ was _ that thing?” Ezra asked, his voice strained from having screamed earlier. He took a moment to look down at the monster in question. It was nearly unrecognisable. No longer were the limbs attached to its body and the skin and spines had been ripped off, exposing the muscles beneath. Even the jaw had been dislodged from its joint, lying now at an odd angle as the creature’s dull eyes stared out into the night. 

Maul didn’t answer right away. Instead, he removed himself from the boy before grabbing him and pulling him onto his back. Ezra tried to struggle, to get away from the vampire, but all energy had left him, his very own body betraying him. 

“This will be the only time that I will ever carry you home,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument either. “Healing will take a while, especially due to the properties of the beast’s saliva and the fact that you had vomited your meal earlier… if only you were a _ good _ vampire.”

Ezra said nothing to the remark, settling for glaring at the back of the vampire’s head. He felt embarrassed and ashamed to be carried by his enemy, being treated as nothing more than a hopeless child. 

“That, my boy, was a Leucrotta,” he finally answered as they made their way through the mist ridden forest. Ezra cringed at Maul addressing him as ‘my boy’, probably saying it on purpose to throw more salt onto the wound at Ezra’s inability as a vampire. “They are nasty, sadistic creatures. Usually solitary and avoid human settlements, but it seems a lot has changed around these parts while I was away. They typically lure prey mimicking familiar sounds that they have heard before, or in your case, memories of people you knew."

Alarm bells rang in the boy’s ears. Maul had no reason to lie about information regarding the creature, but then what could that possibly mean? "M-Memories?"

“You left your mind wide open for all to see,” Maul explained. “There were some quite  _ interesting _ thoughts.”

Ezra’s body went rigid upon hearing those words, dread coiling in the pit of his stomach. This would mean that even the vampire had seen into his mind and the thought of that was quite chilling. Still, he had to tread carefully. One wrong move and he could fall through the thin ice and into the hands of death. 

“Interesting? How so?” Ezra asked in his most casual, albeit shaky, voice as he forced his body to relax. Maul chuckled at the question, and the fledgling could hear the smile in his voice. 

“Revenge.”

Colour drained from his face as the coldness of fear crawled up his spine. His throat constricted, restricting any sound from leaving his mouth as he opened and closed his lips several times to formulate an excuse.  _ I’m so screwed _ , he internally screamed, feeling rather stupid for leaving his mind unguarded like that. Now he had lost before he could even begin.

However, Maul did not give the reaction that the boy had expected. He smiled with amusement at the fledgeling’s reaction, the maliciousness having been erased completely. 

“This I could work with,” he began, “Revenge is a powerful motivation and  _ I _ can help you work towards your goal -  _ our  _ goal.”

“Y-You can?” Ezra sputtered out, completely dumbfounded. Why would anyone help someone extract revenge on themselves? 

“Yes,” the vampire confirmed, glancing over his shoulders at the boy, his yellow eyes burning brighter than before. “I will help you, and you will finally have your revenge on your classmates… then, you will help me with  _ my revenge _ .”

There was a heavy pause as Ezra’s mind processed the words, filling in the blanks of his initial confusion and numbing his panic. He felt immensely relieved that Maul didn’t know who his true target for revenge was, but he would have to be extra careful from now on. 

“Right… yes…” The teenager agreed slowly, his mind still reeling with the information. “And what exactly is _ your _ revenge? Is that why you’re ‘training’ me?” 

_ Why you have ruined my life? _

“Hm, we have much to do,” Maul muttered, ignoring Ezra’s questions. “First, I will have to train you to shield your mind. We wouldn’t want any more mishaps such as today.”

Now  _ that _ was something Ezra could agree on. He would like to strengthen his mental barriers so that there would be less chance of him accidentally slipping up and revealing his plan. But only because of that. Nothing else. He still felt reluctant to learn from Maul as it felt like he was giving up and giving that murderer a sense of control… although, perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing. If Maul felt as if he was in control, then he would most likely lower his guard. And  _ that _ could work in Ezra’s favor. 

The rest of the walk was done in silence, which the teen felt grateful for. It was bad enough having to be carried by that fiend but at least he didn't have to hear him talk. It felt uncomfortable and the feeling only worsened by the continuous throbbing of his leg. The rest of his wounds had thus far healed during the course of their journey, but his body seemed to be slower with mending the bones.

The trees began to wane, giving way to the plot of land that accommodated the large, dreadful house. It loomed over Ezra as they drew in closer, much like the shadow of its owner, cold and ominous. The front door opened by itself for its master, such magic no longer surprising the teen as much as it initially had, perhaps being too exhausted and uncomfortable at that point. Inside, the empty, now dust-free halls expanded beyond them and Ezra peeked through every passing door in search for another soul.

“The workers have already left for the night,” Maul informed him as the disguised door to the basement slid open. “Morning is soon upon us.”

“Why do you hypnotise them into doing work rather than just paying them?” Ezra asked tiredly, not expecting anything other than an answer of free slavery and domination. 

“They do, however, it is best that they do not remember specifically where or for who they work for. You see, we need to train much more before we are ready to reveal ourselves. Only then can my plan unfold into reality.” The reply was not one that the fledgling had been expecting, but it still left him feeling irritated at the vagueness of it all. Maul continued, “It’s also easier to clean up accidents such as the one tonight. The workers are unreactive, unaware, of the fate of one of their coworkers. It’s easier to erase their memories of that person that way, and much easier to hide the evidence.”

“You still never told me your plan,” Ezra decided to ask, hoping to veer away from the guilt that swelled within him from the reminder of that night’s earlier events. He really had not meant to take that man’s life, once again having been forced to kill. It made him angry, frustrated and upset at the hopelessness of it all.

“All in due time, Ezra. All in due time,” was the only answer that the vampire offered and the teen gave up, knowing that that it was futile to question it further. 

True to Maul’s word, the coffin was empty from any bones and dust. Ezra hadn’t exactly been expecting him to do any lowly work such as cleaning, and the more the teen thought about it, the more he began to believe that one of the workers had done it. Whatever the case was, he felt relieved that he did not have to spend another night with the grimy remains of the coffin’s original owner. However, that did not mean that Ezra wanted to actually spend a night sleeping in the casket.

Maul placed him into the box and Ezra opened his mouth to protest, to ask if there wasn’t any possible way to sleep on one of the beds upstairs. However, the vampire shot him a warning look, his yellow eyes blazing bright under the low candle light.

“It’s either the coffin or the chains… choose wisely, my child.”

Ezra cringed at being called ‘my child’, the words unsettling his stomach A part of him thought that Maul was doing it on purpose, going out of his way to make the fledgeling feel as small and insignificant as he possibly could, all the while stoking the embers of Ezra’s deep rooted resentment. 

Instead of answering, the boy reluctantly laid down into the wooden box, glaring at the monster as he did so. This earned him a pleased smile before Maul began to lower the wooden lid. It irked Ezra that this felt eerily similar to when his parents tucked him into bed, wishing good dreams as the night swept him away, only this felt like a nightmare. It turned the whole act of a parent’s love into something that felt so horrid and sick, leaving him feeling nothing but cold and empty. 

He missed his parents… his family…

But they were gone now… and they were never coming back…

Darkness now filled the empty void inside the coffin that held Ezra, the last tendrils of light snuffed out by the heavy thud of the lid closing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't the happiest with the beginning of this chapter, but I tried. Fight scenes aren't my forte and yet, I seem to write them more often than I would have ever thought... anyways, thank you for reading, commenting and leaving kudos :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


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